Three Absences at Previous Investigation Dates
Prosecution: "Written Investigation Inappropriate... Seeking Solutions"
It has been reported that Dahye, the daughter of former President Moon Jae-in and a witness in the bribery suspicion case involving the former president, has rejected all investigation methods proposed by the prosecution.
On the 11th, Yonhap News reported that the Criminal Division 3 of Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Han Yeon-gyu) recently proposed to Dahye's lawyer alternative investigation methods excluding appearance at the prosecution office, in accordance with human rights protection investigation rules. However, Dahye's lawyer conveyed that they would not comply with any of the prosecution's requests. The prosecution is said to have proposed on-site investigations near Dahye's residence, visit investigations, or telephone investigations with recording, considering that the witness Dahye lives far away.
Dahye Moon, daughter of former President Moon Jae-in, who caused a drunk driving accident, appeared at Yongsan Police Station in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, with her lawyer on the afternoon of the 18th of last month to undergo police questioning and is heading to the interrogation room. Photo by Yonhap News.
Witness appearance or testimony is not compulsory. Therefore, even if Dahye does not comply with the prosecution's investigation requests, she will not face legal disadvantages. Dahye did not appear on all three scheduled dates notified by the prosecution: mid-last month, the 1st of this month, and either the 7th or 8th of this month. On the 6th, a day before the recent scheduled date, Dahye reportedly conveyed through her lawyer her intention not to respond to the witness investigation and requested the prosecution to consider alternative methods to appearance as stipulated in the human rights protection investigation rules.
A prosecution official told Yonhap News, "It seems the witness side is requesting a written investigation as an alternative to face-to-face investigation, but we consider this inappropriate," adding, "In a bribery suspicion case, the case cannot be disposed of without investigating the recipient or acquirer of the benefits, so we are considering the investigation methods."
In 2018, Dahye moved to Thailand together with her then-husband Seo, who was employed as an executive director at Thai Starjet. The prosecution has been investigating the suspicious circumstances under which Seo, who had no practical experience in the aviation industry, was employed by Thai Starjet, which is owned by former lawmaker Lee Sang-jik, the founder of Eastar Jet. The former president and his wife covered part of the living expenses of Dahye and her husband but stopped financial support after Seo’s employment. The prosecution considers the approximately 223 million won in salary and relocation expenses received by Dahye and her husband from Thai Starjet during this period as bribes to former President Moon.
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