'Allegations of Large Bribery Fees to Suppress Investigation' Yang Bu-nam, Democratic Party Lawmaker, Cleared of Charges

The prosecution has concluded 'no charges' against Yang Bu-nam, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, who was suspected of receiving a large amount of attorney fees in exchange for covering up an investigation.

According to the legal community on the 23rd, the Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Seung-ho) decided not to indict Yang on charges of violating the Attorney-at-Law Act.

Yang Bu-nam, member of the Democratic Party of Korea.

Yang is suspected of receiving a large attorney fee in November 2020 from an operator of an online gambling site in Daegu as a bribe to cover up an investigation related to the establishment of a gambling space.

A prosecution official explained, "After comprehensively reviewing testimonies from related parties, recorded phone conversations, and legal principles, it is difficult to see that Yang received the attorney fee under the pretext of petitioning or mediating to a public official."

Earlier, the police investigated Yang's charges in August last year and sent the case to the prosecution without detention. During the investigation, the police applied twice for Yang's arrest warrant, but the prosecution rejected it, stating that the criminal charges and reasons for detention were not sufficiently substantiated.

Yang retired from the Busan High Prosecutors' Office in August 2020 and was elected as a member of the 22nd National Assembly in April this year. Lawyer A, who introduced the case to Yang, and his office manager were prosecuted for violating the Attorney-at-Law Act.