[사회]’Intimidating coverage’ Lee Dong-jae, bail just before the expiration of arrest… “The court undermines the principle of disability”

[앵커]

Former Channel A reporter Lee Dong-jae, who is being tried on the charges of ‘intimidating coverage’ targeting passport personnel, was released on bail after seven months of arrest.

The former reporter foreshadowed a fierce court battle, expressing regret that bail was granted, with one day before the deadline expires.

Reporter Lim Seong-ho reports.

[기자]

Former Channel A reporter Lee Dong-jae leaves the detention center.

It has been seven months since I was arrested on charges of attempted coercion in July last year.

One day before the deadline expires, the court granted the former reporter bail on condition that they must not flee or destroy evidence.

[이동재 / 前 채널A 기자 : (구속기한 만료 하루 앞두고 보석이 된 건데 한 말씀 부탁합니다.) 불구속 상태로 재판에 성실히 임하겠습니다.]

The former reporter expressed a strong regret to the court, despite being fortunate to have been released.

He said it was very unusual to grant bail just before the expiry of arrest, even though there were no fears of fleeing or destroying evidence, and criticized the court for violating the principle of impaired trial.

Former reporter Lee has been accused of threatening to report corruption to passport officials, including President of the Roh Moo-Hyun Group, to former Value Invest Korea CEO Lee Chul, who is serving a large amount of fraud.

However, as important witnesses such as Ji Mo Ji, who reported the information to MBC, avoided the testimony, the trial is in full swing.

The court eventually withdrew the adoption of witnesses, saying that it was not possible to determine the whereabouts of Mr. Ji, and instead adopted the prosecution record against Mr. Ji as evidence.

Ji, whose whereabouts is unknown, is continuing her public activities through YouTube and SNS.

[‘제보자 X’ 지 모 씨 : 안녕하세요. ‘제보자 X’입니다. 여러분도 앞으로 관심을 가지고 지켜봐 주시고 부족하고 서투르더라도 응원해주시길 부탁드립니다.]

The former reporter’s side protested that Ji’s adoption of witnesses was withdrawn, and said it would fight whether Ji’s unilateral prosecution statement could be evidence in a future trial.

In addition, he insisted that he would further check Mr. Ji’s call history and reveal the’conflict of powers’ of the pro-government media that put him in a trap.

Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon, who was accused of collusion with the former reporter, has not yet completed an investigation by the prosecution for reasons such as failure to unlock the password of the confiscated mobile phone.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, which investigated the case, reported that there was no charge from one prosecutor, but it was reported that the Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office Lee Seong-yoon repeatedly delayed the approval.

The trial for the first trial against former reporter Lee Dong-jae is expected to be finalized after the trial on the 17th.

The prosecution is also expected to finish its disposition against Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon before the sentence of the former reporter’s first instance.

This is YTN Seongho Lim.

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