Ewhayeong "Met multiple times with former high-ranking prosecutors through prosecutor arrangements"

Lee Claims "Kim Seong-tae, Prosecutors, and Investigators Had Dinner with Salmon and Alcohol"

The prosecution and the defense of former Gyeonggi Province Peace Deputy Governor Lee Hwa-young, who is on trial for alleged remittances to North Korea, continue to clash over the so-called 'drinking party inducement' allegations that Lee exposed in court.

Lee Hwa-young, former Deputy Governor for Peace of Gyeonggi Province.

On the 22nd, Kim Kwang-min, the lawyer representing former Deputy Governor Lee, disclosed Lee's written statement. Lee revealed that he met several times with a lawyer who was a former high-ranking prosecutor, arranged by a prosecutor from the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office.

In the written statement, Lee claimed, "The lawyer persuaded me by saying it was an agreement with a high-ranking prosecutor and conveyed that if I acknowledged Kim Sung-tae's testimony and testified that the remittance to North Korea was done for Lee Jae-myung, the prosecution promised to make the ongoing trial favorable to me and to stop investigations around me."

Lee also reiterated that former Ssangbangwool Group Chairman Kim Sung-tae, prosecutors, investigators, and Ssangbangwool employees had meals accompanied by alcohol. Previously, on the last day of the defense hearing on the 4th, Lee claimed in court that "around June last year, in the anteroom of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office, I drank with the indicted former Chairman Kim and former Ssangbangwool Group Vice Chairman Bang Yong-chul and manipulated testimony."

Lee stated, "We ate in the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office video recording interrogation room No. 1313," adding, "When Kim Sung-tae said he wanted to eat salmon, salmon sashimi, sashimi rice bowl, and soup dishes were delivered, and soju was poured into paper cups."

He continued, "Kim Sung-tae drank several glasses, and when his flushed face subsided, he said it was time to leave, so the prosecutor, investigator, and Kim Sung-tae continued their friendly conversation," and claimed, "If Kim Sung-tae wanted jajangmyeon, jajangmyeon was prepared, and if he wanted galbitang, galbitang was prepared."

Furthermore, Lawyer Kim argued that the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office has not disclosed all the attendance logs but is selectively using them, pointing out that they are framing the case as 'judicial obstruction.'

Regarding the former high-ranking prosecutor lawyer, he said, "He acted as a messenger with the prosecution," and explained, "The former prosecutor lawyer, who has a special relationship with the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office, thoroughly explained and persuaded former Deputy Governor Lee about what the prosecution wanted and the rewards if he cooperated. This lawyer also visited Lee at Suwon Detention Center, so it can be confirmed through detention visitation records, and it is believed that his name is recorded on the list of visitors to the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office."

He added, "The Suwon District Prosecutors' Office has secured all materials such as attendance records," and claimed, "Although the court ordered the Suwon Detention Center to submit these materials, the detention center submitted them to the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office, not the court."

He went on, "Based on the prosecution's attitude of selectively disclosing attendance records on dates suspected to be when Lee drank salmon, the defense side proposes the estimated dates again," urging, "We expect the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office to disclose the attendance records for the estimated dates."