A broker who was prosecuted for pocketing tens of millions of won from a local company for solicitation during the Saemangeum solar power project in Gunsan, Jeonbuk, was sentenced to two years in prison in the second trial, following the first trial.
Seoul Northern District Court. Yonhap News
On the 30th, the Criminal Division 2 of the Seoul Northern District Court (Presiding Judge Kang Young-hoon) sentenced Park (57), who was indicted for violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (accepting bribes for mediation), to two years in prison and ordered the confiscation of 72.5 million won, the same as in the first trial.
The court explained the reason for dismissing the appeal, stating, "The amount of money Park received is not small, and the crime of accepting bribes for mediation undermines the fairness of public officials' duties and may disrupt market order," and "there is no reason to change the original sentence."
Park was prosecuted on charges of soliciting a local electrical construction company A to include it in the consortium participating in the 'Saemangeum Zone 2 Land Solar Power Project' to secure the project contract, and receiving 62.5 million won in eight installments from November 2019 to January 2021.
Park is also accused, along with an acquaintance Kim, of helping company A secure the underground transmission line project of the solar power project in Eoeun-ri, Okgu-eup, Gunsan City, and receiving 50 million won under the pretext of resolving permit issues during construction.
Earlier, the first trial court stated the sentencing reasons, saying, "The defendant demanded money continuously for over a year, received about 112.5 million won, deleted data stored on the computer, frequently changed phones, and destroyed evidence," and "this disrupts the fairness of public officials' duties, the general trust of society, and market order, so severe punishment is necessary."
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