The prosecution has additionally indicted former Gyeonggi Province Deputy Governor for Peace Lee Hwa-young, who was sentenced to 9 years and 6 months in prison in the first trial for charges related to illegal remittances to North Korea, on charges including accepting bribes worth several hundred million won.
According to the prosecution, in addition to illegal political funds and bribes recognized as guilty in the first trial, Lee used his position and influence as Deputy Governor of Gyeonggi Province to continuously receive illegal funds from various companies within Gyeonggi Province through various methods over about six years, with the total criminal proceeds amounting to 537 million won.
The Criminal Division 6 of Suwon District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Seo Hyun-wook) indicted Lee on the 18th without detention on charges of violation of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (bribery), bribery under the Criminal Act, and violation of the Political Funds Act.
According to the prosecution, from July 2021 to September 2022, Lee received a total of 300 million won from Mr. B, the representative of a local construction company, in 15 installments of 20 million won each month under the pretext of operating expenses for the local committee he chaired.
In December 2021, Lee requested Mr. B to "lend a house to use for the (presidential) election campaign," and Mr. B provided a countryside house he owned free of charge for Lee's use.
Lee is also accused of having been falsely registered as an employee at a company operated by Mr. C, the representative of an electrical construction company in Gyeonggi Province, in October 2015, receiving 43 million won as a donation under the name of salary, and using a vehicle leased under Mr. C's company name free of charge for six years from September 2016, with lease fees and insurance premiums amounting to 55 million won paid on his behalf.
Furthermore, while serving as Deputy Governor for Peace of Gyeonggi Province (July 2018?January 2020) and CEO of KINTEX (September 2020?September 2022), Lee had Mr. C pay 52 million won on his behalf for rent and management fees of two private offices near the National Assembly building in Yeouido.
Lee is also accused of having falsely registered Mr. E, a personal driver he privately employed, as an employee at a company operated by Mr. D, vice chairman of an asphalt and ready-mixed concrete company, from August 2018 to November 2019, and having about 37 million won paid on his behalf for salary and other expenses.
Mr. E was Lee’s personal secretary during his tenure as a member of the National Assembly from 2004 to 2008. Due to Mr. E’s criminal record making it difficult to hire him as a secretary to the deputy governor, this irregular method was used, according to the investigation.
Additionally, it was confirmed that in January 2019, Lee received 30 million won from former Ssangbangwool Chairman Kim Seong-tae in exchange for requesting the promotion of a specific police officer.
The prosecution judged that in February 2020, Lee requested a large donation from former Chairman Kim for his candidacy in the 21st National Assembly election, and Kim donated a total of 20 million won by splitting it into 5 million won each under other people’s names.
The prosecution stated that they have taken measures to confiscate and preserve the criminal proceeds of 537 million won obtained by Lee through these methods.
The Suwon District Prosecutors' Office said, "In addition to the illegal funds related to the Ssangbangwool Group for which Lee recently received a first trial sentence, he continuously received illegal funds from various companies in Gyeonggi Province for six years by using his position and influence as Deputy Governor of Gyeonggi Province. This is a typical case of collusion between politics and business, receiving illicit money over a long period under various pretexts and names."
The prosecution also indicted three others including Mr. B and former Chairman Kim along with Lee on charges of bribery and violation of the Political Funds Act.
Meanwhile, Lee was sentenced to 9 years and 6 months in prison and fined 250 million won in the first trial on the 7th for charges including bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, violation of the Political Funds Act, violation of the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act, and obstruction of evidence.
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