Police Officer Who Took Tens of Millions in Bribes and Provided Investigation Info to Gangsters... Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison and Jailed

Regular Bribes Received from Organized Crime Involved in Illegal Lending
Court: "Fairness of Duties and Public Trust Severely Damaged"

A police officer in the Busan area was sentenced to prison and taken into custody in court on charges of receiving bribes worth tens of millions of won from organized crime groups engaged in illegal lending operations and passing on investigation information in return.

The Criminal Division 6 of the Busan District Court (Chief Judge Kim Yong-gyun) sentenced Sergeant A, affiliated with the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency, to five years in prison on charges of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (bribery) and leaking official secrets during the sentencing trial on the 14th, according to Yonhap News Agency. The court also imposed a fine of 25 million won and a confiscation amount of 31,166,500 won on A. B, an organized crime member who was also indicted on charges of giving bribes to A, was sentenced to one year in prison.

A is accused of regularly receiving bribes totaling over 30 million won from B, who engaged in illegal lending without registration and charged exorbitant interest rates, from October 2022 to January of this year. In return for receiving the money, A is also accused of providing information about the investigation status of nine cases involving B and requesting the investigators in charge to conduct the investigation from B’s perspective by leveraging his position and personal connections.

Regarding this, A’s defense lawyer said, "There is no excuse for the defendant, a current police officer, having an inappropriate relationship with B, providing consultations, and making investments," but added, "However, the consultations were only abstract discussions within the scope of what the police officer knew and did not involve leaking official secrets." On the bribery charges, the lawyer claimed, "A received investment proposals from B for a scrap metal business, knowing that the principal was not guaranteed, and made profits from the investment," asserting that "there was no recognition of bribery." Earlier, on December 3 last year, the prosecution sought seven years in prison, a fine of over 160 million won, and confiscation of 32.67 million won for A, and one year and six months in prison for the organized crime member B.

The court recognized a substantial part of A’s charges as guilty, stating, "The fairness of the duties performed by police officers and the general public’s trust have been severely damaged," and pointed out, "The defendant’s guilt is quite heavy, having previously undergone internal inspection and disciplinary action for a similar case of requesting favors." The court added, "The defendant not only tried to evade responsibility but also attempted to coordinate or persuade witnesses," and "Even after the investigation began, the defendant submitted false documents, which cannot be regarded as a reasonable exercise of the right to defense but rather as obstruction of the investigation."