Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office in Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do. News 1
The prosecution, investigating allegations of illegal departure (withdrawal) and concealment of Kim Hak-e’s former Vice Minister of Justice, turned the case over to the High-ranking Officials Crime Investigation Office (Airlift).
According to the prosecution on the 3rd, Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office 3 (Director Jeong-seop Lee), who is investigating the case, transferred the case related to former Vice Minister Kim to the airlift.
As a result, prosecutor Lee Seong-yoon, Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office, who was involved in the suspicion, and prosecutor Lee Gyu-won, who was dispatched to the fact-finding team of the prosecution past at the time, were investigated by the airlift.
Prosecutor Lee is under suspicion that he used external pressure to halt the investigation of allegations of withdrawal of former vice minister Kim from Anyang branch of Suwon District Prosecutor’s Office when he served as the anti-corruption and strong prosecutor of the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office in June 2019.
In this regard, Chief Prosecutor Lee was notified of the summons three times, but he did not respond. However, while submitting a statement to the prosecution to deny the suspicion, he insisted that the case be transferred to the airlift.
At the dawn of March 23, 2019, the prosecutor is suspected of sending an emergency withdrawal request and approval request for former Vice Minister Kim, respectively, with a false case number. Suspicions have also been raised that the attempt to obtain posthumous approval for illegal emergency withdrawal has failed.
Lee Seong-yoon, Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office. yunhap news
The Act on the Establishment and Operation of High-Level Public Officials Crime Investigation Offices (Airborne Officer Act) stipulates that if an investigative agency, such as the prosecution, discovers the charges of a high-ranking public officials offense by the prosecutors, the case must be transferred to the airlifting office. The prosecution decided to transfer the case to the airlift in accordance with this provision.
However, in some of the legal circles, there are practical limitations, such as the fact that the air defense department does not currently have adequate personnel for investigation, raising the possibility that the case will be transferred to the prosecution again.
On the way to work, Minister of Public Service Kim Jin-wook told reporters on the case of former Vice Minister Kim, “I will look for the most appropriate plan that can be implemented at the present time after looking at the records and grasping the contents.”
Reporter Na Unchae [email protected]
