An executive at the Gwangju Information and Culture Industry Promotion Agency has been indicted for receiving tens of millions of won in bribes during the course of business operations in 2020.
On June 10, the Joint Financial Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Northern District Prosecutors' Office (headed by Lee Ilgyu) and the Investigation Division (headed by Yoon Sunghoon) announced that they had indicted, without detention, executive A from a local government-affiliated organization on charges of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (bribery), and IT company CEO B on charges including fraud.
A is accused of receiving a total of 44 million won from B between around March 2020 and May 2023. A is also alleged to have advised B on how to be selected as a research project operator and to have formed an evaluation committee composed of individuals favorable to B.
B is accused of fraudulently registering relatives and acquaintances as participating researchers from around November 2019 to January 2024, thereby embezzling a total of 1.3 billion won in research and development funds from nine public institutions. B is alleged to have processed payments as if salaries were paid to these falsely registered researchers, then managed their accounts directly or had the funds returned to his own account.
The prosecution confirmed that B's company had been selected as a project operator by the Gwangju Information and Culture Industry Promotion Agency on six occasions.
A prosecution official stated, "We will do our utmost to strictly investigate financial crimes that waste national finances."
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