Song Young-gil's Side Claims 'Prosecutor's Illegal Investigation'... Questions Interview Without Records
Prosecutors Explain, "Legally Investigating Other Cases Related to Lee Jung-geun"
Prosecutors Continue Investigation into Employment Solicitation Case... Recently Questioned Officials from Korea Integrated Logistics
The court handling the case of Song Young-gil, leader of the Sonamudang faction of the Democratic Party of Korea, regarding the party's cash envelope allegations, has demanded that the prosecution explain why it did not create interrogation records despite repeatedly summoning and questioning Lee Jeong-geun, the former deputy secretary-general of the Democratic Party and a key evidence submitter.
The Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 21 (Presiding Judge Heo Kyung-moo) made this request on the 1st during the trial of Song on charges of violating the Political Funds Act and the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. This was a clarification demand in response to Song’s side’s claim of "illegal investigation by the prosecution," to which the prosecution responded, "We were lawfully investigating another case related to Mr. Lee."
The court pointed out, "On October 11, 2022, the prosecution received a mobile phone containing a key evidence audio recording file from Mr. Lee, and returned it to him on October 20 of the same month," adding, "During this period, Mr. Lee was summoned and questioned multiple times, but no interrogation records were created." The court further demanded, "Since Song’s side claims the illegality of 'interviews without records,' please clarify the reason why no records were made."
In response, the prosecution explained, "During those three months, we were investigating another case in which Mr. Lee was a party," and "We conducted multiple summons and investigations related to a case of obstruction of employment concerning Mr. Lee, including listening to the audio recordings." This was to clarify that there were no illegal interviews intended to coerce Mr. Lee’s cooperation with the investigation.
The other case mentioned by the prosecution involves allegations that former Blue House Chief of Staff Noh Young-min intervened in the process of Mr. Lee’s employment as a full-time advisor at Korea Integrated Logistics, a subsidiary of CJ, after Mr. Lee lost in the 2020 21st general election. The prosecution conducted raids on the Korea Integrated Logistics office in Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport at that time, but later shifted the focus of the investigation to the Democratic Party convention cash envelope allegations.
The prosecution is currently continuing the investigation into the employment solicitation case and also questioned a Korea Integrated Logistics official as a witness on the 25th of last month.
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