Bribery of 2.9 Billion Won Received as Payment for Warship Work
The military has imposed a disciplinary surcharge exceeding 10 billion won on a former civilian military employee who accepted bribes.
A disciplinary surcharge is a punitive fine imposed on public officials who commit financial misconduct such as accepting bribes or embezzling public funds. It can be levied up to five times the amount involved in the misconduct. This is the first time a disciplinary surcharge exceeding 10 billion won has been imposed, and the amount is so enormous that similar cases are hard to find.
Dokdo-class ship (not directly related to the article content). Provided by the Navy
According to the military on the 24th, the Ministry of National Defense Civilian Military Employee Disciplinary Committee decided in June to dismiss Mr. A, a man in his 50s who served as a Grade 4 civilian military employee in the Navy, and impose a disciplinary surcharge of 11.74 billion won.
According to the Ministry of Personnel Management, since the introduction of the disciplinary surcharge system in 2010 until last year, the total amount of disciplinary surcharges imposed on national public officials was 8.86 billion won. This case alone has surpassed the total amount imposed on all individuals to date.
Most military officials have never even heard of the term "disciplinary surcharge," and the news that the amount exceeds 10 billion won has caused surprise even within the military.
Mr. A worked as the election factory manager within the Navy fleet, responsible for the operation of hauling naval vessels from the sea to land (ship launching). He was prosecuted last year on charges of leaking internal information during work to help companies secure construction contracts and accepting bribes.
He served as the person in charge of the related project for a long time and was involved in the contract evaluation process. He also actively and systematically committed crimes by receiving bribes disguised as payment for goods through a company registered under his family's name.
Ultimately, he received a heavy sentence from the court. In the first trial last year, the military court sentenced Mr. A to 11 years in prison, a fine of 2.08 billion won, and ordered a confiscation of 1.38 billion won.
According to the disciplinary surcharge criteria for military personnel and civilian military employees, if the misconduct involving bribery is severe and intentional, a disciplinary surcharge of 4 to 5 times the amount involved can be imposed. The Ministry of National Defense assessed Mr. A's misconduct amount at 2.93 billion won and decided to impose a disciplinary surcharge four times that amount.
However, the disciplinary surcharge against Mr. A may be reduced considering the fines and confiscations.
According to the Civilian Military Employee Personnel Act, if the subject receives criminal punishment or fulfills compensation responsibilities after the disciplinary surcharge is decided, measures such as reduction of the surcharge must be taken.
Although the surcharge amount is substantial and it may not be easy to collect it all, the Ministry of National Defense intends to proceed with collection through compulsory collection procedures.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
