"Request to Cover Up Investigation"
A police officer who was prosecuted on charges of receiving bribes from a listed company official invested with Lime Asset Management (Lime) fund money was sentenced to imprisonment in the first trial.
The Criminal Division 11 of the Seoul Southern District Court (Chief Judge Jeong Doseong) on the afternoon of the 7th sentenced Sergeant Kwon, who was indicted for violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (bribery), to three years in prison and a fine of 54 million won, and ordered the confiscation of 28 million won in illegal gains.
The court stated the sentencing reasons, saying, "The defendant frequently met and communicated with the parties involved in the case. He leaked various investigation information as if broadcasting live and received money, meals, and gifts in exchange for mediation activities. This has tarnished the honor of the entire police organization and severely damaged public trust in police fairness."
It added, "Other police officers who perform their duties faithfully appear to have been significantly shocked and demoralized, making severe punishment commensurate with this inevitable."
Sergeant Kwon, while serving as the head of the Economic Investigation Team at the Seocho Police Station in Seoul, was indicted on charges of accepting bribes totaling about 30 million won, including cash and Korean beef sets, six times from Mr. Hong from May to December last year under the pretext of arranging a person in charge of the case. In February, he was also charged with receiving 3 million won to deliver to the person in charge of the case.
Meanwhile, the Lime scandal refers to the incident in 2019 when Lime Asset Management was suspected of manipulating returns illegally by engaging in illicit transactions of convertible bonds (CB) of KOSDAQ companies, causing the stock prices held in Lime funds to plummet and triggering a suspension of redemptions worth 1.6 trillion won.
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