The Corruption Investigation Office questions Jang Si-ho as a witness... "The prosecutor never coached the testimony"

Allegations of Subornation of Perjury by Prosecutor Dispatched from the Special Investigation Team on National Power Abuse Scandal

The High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Division, which is investigating allegations of witness tampering by a current deputy chief prosecutor who was dispatched to the Special Prosecutor's Office for the Park Geun-hye corruption scandal, recently summoned Jang Si-ho, the niece of Choi Seo-won (formerly Choi Soon-sil), for questioning.

According to legal circles on the 28th, the second investigation division of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Division (Chief Prosecutor Song Chang-jin) summoned Jang as a witness on the 24th. The division is investigating allegations that Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kim was involved in coaching Jang to give false testimony during his dispatch to the special prosecutor's office for the Park Geun-hye corruption scandal.

Jang Si-ho, niece of Choi Seo-won (formerly Choi Soon-sil). [Image source=Yonhap News]

It is reported that the division questioned Jang about whether there was any practice of false testimony during the special prosecutor's investigation of the Park Geun-hye scandal.

Jang is known to have stated during the investigation that "the prosecutor never made me practice testimony." Additionally, she reportedly submitted recordings of phone calls with Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kim and text messages exchanged with him to the division.

The YouTube channel 'Newtamsa' raised suspicions last month based on a 2020 recorded conversation between Jang and an acquaintance, alleging that Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kim had coaxed or coached Jang to testify during his dispatch to the special prosecutor's office and that they maintained a personal relationship.

However, Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kim refuted the claims, stating, "I stake my entire 21-year career as a prosecutor and speak with a bleeding heart," and called the reports "groundless falsehoods not worth reading."

Jang, as a suspect and key witness in the Park Geun-hye corruption case, testified at hearings and trials regarding various corruptions involving Choi and allegations of Samsung Group's involvement.

The Democratic Party announced on the 20th that it would push for the impeachment of four senior prosecutors, including Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kim, who has been named as a party involved in the coercion allegations.