All Charges Recognized as Guilty; Taken Into Custody in Court
Jeon Jun-gyeong, former deputy director of the Democratic Research Institute, who was prosecuted for receiving bribes worth around 800 million won from developers in Baekhyun-dong, was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison in the first trial and was taken into custody in court.
The Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 27 (Chief Judge Woo In-seong) on the 9th sentenced former Deputy Director Jeon to 2 years and 6 months in prison and a fine of 52 million won on charges of bribery and mediation under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. They also ordered the confiscation of about 800 million won.
The court ruled, "The defendant, as a member of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, which was established to contribute to the establishment of a clean public office and social atmosphere, actively mediated various civil complaints and permits several times by using the friendships formed during the performance of his duties."
However, the court took into consideration favorable circumstances such as some of the bribe providers giving payments out of gratitude to the defendant, the payments being stopped because the defendant did not want to receive them despite the providers’ intention to continue for a long period, and the fact that although the defendant was initially contacted for mediation, no further mediation acts were performed, yet they have maintained a close personal relationship to this day.
Former Deputy Director Jeon was prosecuted on charges of receiving a total of about 780 million won and a Genesis sedan from seven companies from July 2015 to March last year under the pretext of mediating complaints to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission and local government permits. Among these, about 100 million won and the sedan were investigated to have been received from Jeong Ba-ul, chairman of Asia Developer and a developer in Baekhyun-dong, as a bribe for mediation involving a public official in charge of real estate development permits in the Sanggal district of Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. He is also accused of receiving 26 million won in bribes from companies participating in the Shingil hot spring development project from January to July 2017 in relation to his duties as a non-standing member of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission concerning the resolution of complaints.
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