Prosecutor Summons Former Head of Police

The special investigation team of the Seoul Central Prosecutors’ Office, which is investigating the suspicions involving the external pressures in the case of retaliatory violation by Chairman Kim Seung-yeon of the Hanwha Group, summoned ex-police head Choi Gi-mun, the auditor of Hanwha Group, and released him late last night after questioning him.

The prosecution investigated what Choi said when he called the then director of the Seoul Police Office Hong Yeong-gi, the investigation director of Seoul Police Office Kim Hak-bae, and the head of Namdaemun Police Office Jang Hee-gon, who is also a high school junior of Choi, right after the case occurred.

Investigators also questioned whether Choi was involved in the decision to transfer the probe into Chairman Kim from the Seoul Police Office to the Namdaemun Police Office on March 26, whether he offered anyone money with the intent to pacify the case, and whether he played a golf game with police executives.

It was revealed that the ex-police head Choi said, “It is true that a Hanwha official asked me to find out something from the police and that I did as I was asked passively, but I never voluntarily made a call. I did not know that the case was handed over to Namdaemun Police Office.”

In the second phase of the first circuit public hearing supervised by judge Kim Cheol-hwan of the Seoul Central District Court on Chairman Kim this day, a judgment was not delivered in terms of the necessity to further investigate a person known as Jo (an employee of Club S in Bukchang-dong), who was recently identified as another victim. It was decided that the third phase is to be held at 2:00 p.m. on June 22.

Judge Kim accepted the opinion of the prosecution, which said, “It is necessary to carry out another public hearing in order to decide whether to add facts involving Jo, an additional victim, to the charges against Chairman Kim.”

Jo’s identity was disclosed when the auditor of Hanwha Kim who was arrested on charges of violating the Attorneys-at-Law Act on June 18 was investigated by the prosecution concerning the usage of money. Jo said, “The money was also used for covering up the damage Jo suffered.”

In a recent prosecution questioning session, Jo provided a medical certificate, his medical treatment record, and his X-rayed picture as evidences, saying that he was injured by Chairman Kim and others and that his injuries took five weeks to heal completely.

At a public hearing yesterday, a lawyer said, “We oppose scheduling more days for public hearings for further investigation,” and the prosecution said, “We hope the third session of the hearing will be held later around on June 25 as more time is needed for the investigation.”

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