Objection to Prosecutor's Search and Seizure
On the day of the 'December 3 Emergency Martial Law,' four individuals, including Woo Jong-su, head of the National Investigation Headquarters, who were subjected to a search and seizure by the Prosecutor's Office Emergency Martial Law Special Investigation Headquarters (Special Investigation Headquarters) in connection with allegations that 10 detectives from the violent crimes unit participated in the arrest team for key political figures, have submitted a quasi-appeal to the court.
On the 26th, the National Police Agency stated, "On the 19th, Woo Jong-su, head of the National Investigation Headquarters, along with three others who were subjected to a search and seizure by the Prosecutor's Special Investigation Headquarters, submitted a quasi-appeal on the 24th," adding, "They requested the court to cancel the disposition regarding the search and seizure on the grounds that it was unlawful."
A quasi-appeal is a system where those subjected to a disposition by an investigative agency file an objection with the court. The four individuals?Head Woo, Yoon Seung-young, Investigation Planning Coordinator of the National Investigation Headquarters, Jeon Chang-hoon, Investigation Planning Officer, and Lee Hyun-il, Investigation Planning Section Chief of the National Police Agency?responded individually to the search and seizure, not on behalf of the National Investigation Headquarters.
Earlier on the 19th of this month, the Prosecutor's Special Investigation Headquarters, following a request from the Defense Counterintelligence Command (Bangcheopsa), conducted searches of the National Investigation Headquarters Investigation Planning Coordination Office, Yeongdeungpo Police Station in Seoul, and the Ministry of National Defense Investigation Headquarters amid allegations that 10 detectives from the violent crimes unit supported the arrest team for key political figures. During this process, the prosecutors seized the mobile phones of Head Woo and others.
At that time, Head Woo expressed through the police special investigation team, "As the head, I deeply regret the seizure of a witness's mobile phone in a situation where a joint investigation headquarters was established for a strict investigation," and stated, "We will continue to conduct a thorough investigation without wavering under the joint investigation headquarters system."
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