The so-called ‘Daejang-dong suspects’ gathered in one court. The trial was held for the first time today (10th), and all four people denied the allegations. Mr. Kim Man-bae also mentioned candidate Lee Jae-myung. “I followed the policy ordered by the mayor of Seongnam at the time,” he claimed. Upon hearing this news outside the courtroom, Lee’s side refuted, saying, “This is not a private directive, it was the official policy of Seongnam City.”
Correspondent Park Ji-young.
[기자]
Yoo Dong-gyu, former head of Seongnam Urban Development Corporation, Kim Man-bae, a major shareholder of Hwacheon Daeyu, Nam Wook, and Jeong Min-yong, all denied the charges at the first trial.
Prosecutors believe that they drove at least 182.7 billion won in profits to Hwacheon Daewoo and caused damage to Seongnam Urban Development Corporation.
According to the law, it is a breach of trust, but Kim Man-bae claims that he is not responsible.
“I followed the policy that Seongnam Mayor Lee Jae-myung at the time ordered for a stable business.”
The prosecution believes that the excess profit return clause has been deleted from the competition guidelines for the Daejang-dong project, and seven toxic clauses favorable to private businesses have been included.
On the other hand, Kim Man-bae’s side argued, “The profit of a private business is the result of taking high risks, not the result of breach of trust.”
The Democratic Party’s election committee issued a statement and refuted both the prosecution and Kim Man-bae’s allegations.
First of all, the prosecution argued that the toxic clause was “a clause to recover development profits, not a clause to benefit private business operators.”
In addition, as for Kim Man-bae’s mention of “Lee Jae-myung, the mayor of Seongnam at the time,” he explained, “It was not the mayor’s private order, but the official policy of Seongnam City.”
[이재명/더불어민주당 대선후보 : 오늘 재판이 있었습니까? 제가 내용을 잘 몰라서 지금은 말씀드리기가 적절하지 않은 것 같네요.]
Of the five people brought to trial, only accountant Jeong Young-hak pleaded guilty.
Accountant Jeong is a person who provided the transcript and cooperated with the prosecution’s investigation.
[정영학/천화동인 5호 실소유주 : (다른 피고인들은 혐의 부인했는데 혼자만 인정하신 이유가 뭡니까?) (정영학 씨 한 말씀만 해주세요.) 죄송합니다.]
The prosecution’s argument mainly relies on the statements and transcripts of accountant Jeong Young-hak.
In future trials, both sides are likely to continue to debate the credibility of the transcript.
(Video design: Aram Kang, Daeun Ahn)
