[Breaking] Lee Hwa-young's Ssangbangwool Corporate Card Use Confirmed... Credibility of Testimonies Including Bang Yong-cheol Recognized

On the 7th at 2 p.m., the first trial verdict was delivered in the case against former Gyeonggi Province Deputy Governor for Peace, Lee Hwa-young, at the Suwon District Court Criminal Division 11 (Presiding Judge Shin Jin-woo). The charges included violations of the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act, the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (bribery), the Political Funds Act, and obstruction of justice by destroying evidence. The court stated, "It can be seen that the defendant or the defendant's family used Ssangbangwool corporate cards." The court found credible the testimony of former Ssangbangwool Vice Chairman Bang Yong-chul, who stated that he provided corporate cards to former Deputy Governor Lee under the direction of former Ssangbangwool Chairman Kim Seong-tae, as well as related testimonies from Ssangbangwool employees.

Former Deputy Governor Lee was arrested and indicted in October 2022 on charges of receiving bribes worth hundreds of millions of won and illegal political funds by receiving corporate cards and corporate vehicles from the Ssangbangwool Group from July 2018 to July 2022, and by paying false salaries to his associates.

During the trial, in March of last year, he was additionally indicted on charges of having former Ssangbangwool Chairman Kim Seong-tae cover a total of 8 million dollars, including 5 million dollars promised by Gyeonggi Province for a smart farm project to North Korea and 3 million dollars for Lee’s trip to North Korea.

One month later, in April of last year, he was further indicted on charges of requesting former Ssangbangwool Vice Chairman Bang Yong-chul to delete materials related to his use of corporate cards ahead of a prosecution investigation.