Lee's Side: "Testimony on Delivering 300 Million Won Cashier's Check Also Provided to Special Prosecutor"
Special Prosecutor: "Submitted as 'Indirect Evidence' in Deutsche Motors Stock Manipulation Trial"
Joungho Lee, former CEO of Black Pearl Invest, is appearing at the Kim Gunhee Special Prosecutor's Office set up at the KT Gwanghwamun Building West in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on July 23.
The legal team representing Joungho Lee, former CEO of Black Pearl Invest, testified in court that they had previously delivered a cashier's check worth 300 million won to First Lady Kim Gunhee.
During the sentencing hearing held on December 16 at the Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Agreement Division 23 (Presiding Judge Oh Seyong), Lee's attorney stated, "There was an occasion when 300 million won was given to Kim Gunhee via cashier's check," and added, "We discussed this matter with the Kim Gunhee Special Prosecutor's Office." On this day, the special prosecutor's team requested a four-year prison sentence for Lee.
When the special prosecutor sought a prison sentence citing evidence destruction and lack of cooperation with the investigation, Lee's side argued that they had actively cooperated with the investigation and made the aforementioned claims.
The attorney explained, "(In order to cooperate with the investigation) we asked the defendant if there was anything that had not yet been disclosed, and the answer was, 'There was a time when 300 million won was given to Kim Gunhee via cashier's check.' Since the Marine Special Prosecutor said it was not part of their investigation, we went to the Kim Gunhee Special Prosecutor's Office and reported this matter."
The attorney provided a detailed account of how the 300 million won was delivered, but criticized the special prosecutor's team for conducting an investigation aimed at public humiliation and for pursuing unrelated charges, emphasizing that "due process must be observed just as much as substantive truth." Lee's side claimed that the 300 million won in question was part of profits from stock investments.
Lee's legal team also argued that the special prosecutor's team initially showed little interest in this testimony, but later conducted a formal investigation regarding the matter.
In response, the special prosecutor's team stated, "The testimony related to the 300 million won cashier's check that Lee said was delivered to Kim Gunhee has been recorded in Lee Joungho's witness statement and submitted as indirect evidence in Kim Gunhee's Deutsche Motors stock price manipulation trial, to prove that Kwon Osoo, Lee Joungho, and others were co-conspirators in the stock price manipulation."
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