Jeong Jong-seon (55), former president of the Korea High School Football Federation, who was charged with embezzlement of operating expenses of the soccer team and harassment of parents, was acquitted for major charges at the first trial. Only the charges of receiving money from parents were fined. Immediately after the ruling, he expressed his feelings, saying, “It was incredibly painful.”
“There is no evidence of embezzlement or sexual violence” innocence
Former high school football federation chairman Jeong Jong-seon is heading to the Seoul Central District Court on the 21st to attend a sentence for allegations of embezzlement and rape. Newsis
The 22nd Division of the Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Agreement (Director Chul-Han Yang) sentenced the former chairman to a fine of 3 million won and ordered a surcharge of 40 million won to the former chairman, who was convicted of similar rape and other charges. Among his charges, only the anti-solicitation law was found guilty, and both sexual violence charges and business embezzlement were acquitted.
First of all, the judge saw that the allegations of embezzlement were insufficient to prove. From February 2015 to March 2019, coach Jung was handed over to the trial on charges of collecting money worth about 223 million won from parents for a total of 149 times in the name of operating expenses for the soccer club from the parents of Eonnam High School in Seoul from February 2015 to March 2019.
Regarding this, the judge said, “The money that seems to have been used for personal purposes by Chairman Chung is withdrawn, and some circumstances are acknowledged. However, there are many amounts that appear to have been actually used for the operation of the soccer team, so they were embezzled for personal use. I can’t see it.”
40 million won for incentive pay is guilty
The court judged that the victim’s statement could not be trusted in the case of parental sexual violence charges. The prosecution wrote in the complaint that former Chairman Chung molested parents twice between February and April 2016 and raped them once. However, the judiciary pointed out that “there is no consistency in the statement,” hearing that the contents of the victim’s statement have changed several times through investigation and trial.
It also suggested the possibility that a third party was involved in the victim’s statement. The judge said, “A testimony came from the court that an acquaintance of the police officer involved in the investigation wrote the victim’s statement.” “It’s difficult.”
However, the court found that the violation of the Solicitation Prohibition Act was correct for the charge of Chairman Jeong receiving 40 million won from parents in the name of incentive pay. The judge ruled, “Because of the fact that incentive payments are stipulated to follow strict procedures in school management, it is not justifiable to receive incentives as it is contrary to social rules.” However, the penalty amount was set in consideration of the fact that the former Chairman Chung has been working as a supervisor for 19 years.
Jeong Jong-seon “A family is annihilated… It was painful”
Jeong Jong-sun, former chairman of the High School Football Federation, heads to court. yunhap news
After the trial, Chairman Chung met with reporters and said, “The police and some media destroyed a family, but the powerless person couldn’t do anything.” “The family members were robbed and the pain couldn’t speak.” Was. He insisted on the Korean Football Association, who permanently expelled himself in August 2019, that “the president should be disciplined at the general meeting.”
He also argued that it was “deliberately woven, pro, and planned by a specific force”. It is known that the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Metropolitan Investigation Unit (Gwangsu University) initiated an investigation after a suspicion of collusion with the police officer and the informant who previously reported the case of Chairman Chung was raised.
Jong-geun Kim, lawyer at LKB Partners, a lawyer for former Chairman Chung, said, “There are parts made by the investigative agency to some extent, and the defendant has been made a’wicked person’ for a long time and suffered for more than a year.” I am glad to recover.” Regarding the arrest of former director Jeong in January-July of last year during an investigation, he said, “I will wait for the prosecution’s appeal (for procedures such as criminal compensation claims) and think when the judgment is finalized.”
Reporter Dr. Ra and Park Hyun-joo [email protected]