Innocent of Favoring Prosecutor Friend? Man with 16 Billion Won Bond Confirmed 'Not Guilty'

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] A man who was prosecuted on charges of receiving about 16 billion won in bonds by contacting a close prosecutor and offering to arrange an acquittal has been acquitted by the Supreme Court.

On the 25th, the Supreme Court's First Division (Presiding Justice Park Jeonghwa) announced that it upheld the lower court's acquittal ruling in the appeal trial of Mr. A, who was indicted for violating the Attorney-at-Law Act.

Earlier, Mr. A was prosecuted on charges including proposing to Mr. B, who was under investigation and trial for embezzlement at a restaurant in Seocho-gu, Seoul, in 2011, that "a high school classmate is a senior prosecutor" and "I will help you receive a suspended sentence or acquittal on the condition of transferring bonds worth 15.885 billion won."

He was also indicted for pocketing 15 million won in 2012 from Mr. C by promising to arrest the opposing party in a counterclaim case and settle the case through a high school classmate who was a chief prosecutor.

However, Mr. A denied in court that he ever made statements matching the charges. He claimed that the bonds were a promise not to file further complaints in exchange for compensation and damages related to the business of Mr. B, who caused him losses, and that his dealings with Mr. C were merely simple financial transactions. In fact, the bond transfer agreement between Mr. A and Mr. B included a clause stating "no additional complaints will be filed," and it was investigated that Mr. B was originally prosecuted and on trial due to a complaint filed by Mr. A.

The first trial court sentenced Mr. A to 1 year and 3 months in prison with a 3-year probation, stating that he "exploited the situation of a person facing legal difficulties to receive or promise money or valuables." It also ordered a fine of 15 million won and 120 hours of community service. This was based on the relatively specific and consistent testimonies of Mr. B, who said he transferred the bonds as a fee for the acquittal request at Mr. A's proposal, and Mr. C, who testified that he transferred 15 million won because Mr. A promised to settle the counterclaim case.

On the other hand, the appellate court overturned the first trial's ruling and acquitted Mr. A due to lack of evidence. It accepted Mr. A's claim that the bonds and money were received as compensation for damages or simple financial transactions, not as a bribe.

The Supreme Court also agreed with this judgment. The court stated, "The lower court did not violate the rules of logic and experience, exceed the limits of free evaluation of evidence, or misinterpret the relevant laws."

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