On the 23rd, a trial was held to determine whether it was appropriate to arrest the head of the representative office of the Democratic Party’s Political Coordination Office, Jeong Jin-sang, who is the closest aide to Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myeong.
Seoul Central District Court Criminal Appeals Division 4-1 (Presiding Judge Yang Ji-jeong) is holding a hearing date for the detention review for Chief Jung from 2:10 pm on the same day. The suitability trial is a procedure where the court once again judges the legality and necessity of detaining the suspect. Chief Jung and his three lawyers attended the screening that day.
Chief Jung was arrested on the 19th on charges of bribery under the Serious Punishment for Certain Offenses Act, taking bribes after illegal acts, violating the Anti-Corruption Act, and initiating the destruction of evidence. At that time, the pre-arrest trial of the suspect (warrant validity examination) began on the afternoon of the 18th and lasted for approximately 8 hours and 10 minutes.
During the warrant review, the prosecution presented three prosecutors and demanded that they be detained for approximately three hours. He emphasized that there is great concern about the destruction of evidence as the charges against Chief Jung are serious and he has also been accused of inciting former director Yoo to destroy evidence. The defense attorney also put up a fierce fight, submitting an opinion of more than 100 pages to the court. And on the morning of the 19th, the next day, the court issued a warrant, saying, “There is a fear of destroying evidence and a fear of escaping.”
In the legal world, the general view is that Chief Chung’s request for proof of custody will be dismissed. In the case of former Defense Minister Seo Wook and Korean Coast Guard Commissioner Kim Hong-hee, who were arrested and charged in connection with the attack in the West Sea, they were released given that the prosecution’s investigation had been completed. maintain adequately. On the other hand, Chief Jung was questioned only once after his arrest. During the review on this day, it is known that the prosecution drew attention to the fact that there was a possibility of ‘matching words’ because the main people involved in the case were in custody.
If Chief Chung’s request is cited, it is very likely that the investigation against Lee, who is a senior officer, will be delayed. On the contrary, if Chung’s claim is rejected, the prosecution’s investigation is likely to gain momentum. The results of the judicial review are expected to come out around midday on the 24th. The court must decide whether to grant the application for injunctive relief within 24 hours of the conclusion of the inquiry.
