Broker "Gave 5 Million Won Twice in February"
Police Commissioner "Received Money and Delivered After a Month?"
A current police commissioner, indicted for receiving bribes under the pretext of 'promotion requests' through a police-prosecutor broker, is engaged in a fierce legal battle with the prosecution.
On the 14th, Yonhap News reported on the witness examination in the Gwangju Police Agency promotion request case, held under the presiding of Judge Kim So-yeon of Criminal Division 7 at the Gwangju District Court.
On that day, in courtroom 102, the second trial was held for A (58, bribery), then Commissioner of the Gwangju Police Agency (police commissioner), B (55, third-party bribery provision), and broker Seong (63, third-party bribery receipt), who were each indicted on charges of bribery receipt, third-party bribery provision, and third-party bribery receipt, respectively.
Commissioner A was indicted on charges of receiving bribes worth approximately 10 million KRW twice from Mr. Seong at a restaurant in Gwangju around January to February 2022, while serving as the Commissioner of the Gwangju Police Agency, in connection with a promotion request for B's promotion to superintendent.
Mr. Seong, who took the witness stand, testified, "I was introduced to B by a superintendent-level officer and requested Commissioner A to promote B," adding, "In this process, I received 10 million KRW from B and delivered it to Commissioner A."
He further detailed, "I met B at a golf equipment store run by the wife of the superintendent officer, received 10 million KRW in cash, and handed over 5 million KRW twice during two separate meals."
He elaborated, "Although Commissioner A's subordinates were present at the meals, they stepped out briefly when the money was handed over, and the envelope containing the money was placed in the pocket of a suit jacket hanging on a coat rack."
He also testified, "Since we usually got along like brothers, I did not feel burdened and handed it over naturally. After the meal, Commissioner A expressed a simple 'thank you'."
Currently, Commissioner A and B have been suspended from their positions following the start of the prosecution's investigation.
Commissioner A refutes the timing of money delivery by broker Mr. Seong
During cross-examination, Commissioner A's legal representative argued, "It is not plausible that the money was handed over twice in February, after the promotion candidate list was finalized on January 7, in two installments of 100 bills of 50,000 KRW each. It is not reasonable to not give the money all at once immediately after receiving it." He added, "Isn't it possible that Mr. Seong gave false testimony during the prosecution's investigation to reduce his own case by covering up the police investigation?" and claimed, "Commissioner A did not receive any money under the pretext of promotion."
A current superintendent-level police officer who introduced B to Mr. Seong also appeared as a witness that day. B admits only to delivering money to Mr. Seong. In court, Mr. Seong admitted to all charges, but Commissioner A denied all allegations of promotion requests and receiving money.
Meanwhile, during the prosecution's investigation into broker Mr. Seong, who leveraged his connections with current and former high-ranking police officers to cover up investigations into cryptocurrency fraudsters, the full extent of police promotion-related corruption was revealed.
Mr. Seong was arrested and indicted on charges of violating the Attorney-at-Law Act for receiving a passenger car and 1.742 billion KRW from cryptocurrency fraudster Tak Mo (45, detained and indicted) 13 times between 2020 and 2021 under the pretext of covering up investigations or providing favors. In the first trial, he was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison and fined 1.713 billion KRW.
Mr. Seong built relationships with prosecutors, police, and local government officials through golf and dining entertainment and made various requests. The prosecution indicted 18 people, including current and former prosecutors and police officers involved in the broker Mr. Seong's police personnel and police-prosecutor investigation cover-up corruption, as well as other brokers.
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