Police Commissioner on Shincheonji Search Warrant Dismissal: "Additional Fact Verification... Utilizing All Means"

Four Complaints Including Embezzlement Against Leader Lee Man-hee... Three Cases Currently Under Investigation

Commissioner Min Gap-ryong of the National Police Agency. / Photo by Jin-hyeong Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Regarding the police's application for a search warrant on Shincheonji Church of Jesus (Shincheonji) being dismissed by the prosecution, Police Commissioner Min Gap-ryong stated on the 9th that he would "further verify the facts."

Commissioner Min said in a written statement at a press briefing that "We will take measures according to legal procedures, such as further verifying the facts regarding the matters the prosecution requested to supplement."

He added, "As the public is anxious due to the spread of infectious diseases, we will cooperate with quarantine authorities and use all possible methods within the scope permitted by law to take measures to verify the facts."

The Daegu city government filed a complaint with the police on the 28th of last month, accusing the Shincheonji Daegu Church of obstructing epidemiological investigations by omitting the list of church members, violating the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act. The Intelligence Crime Investigation Unit of the Daegu Metropolitan Police Agency, which started the investigation, applied for search warrants twice on the 2nd and 3rd of this month, but both were rejected at the prosecution stage.

Meanwhile, the police are also conducting an investigation related to Lee Man-hee, the president of Shincheonji. According to the police, since last year, four complaints have been filed against President Lee on charges including embezzlement. Among these, one case was sent to the prosecution last July with a non-prosecution opinion, and investigations such as account analysis and interviews with related parties are ongoing for the other three cases.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.