The Corruption Investigation Office Resumes Search and Seizure at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Despite 'False Allegation' Warrant Controversy

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Unit (PCC) resumed the search and seizure of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office on the 29th in connection with the suspicion of 'Lee Seong-yoon, Seoul High Prosecutors' Office Chief Prosecutor, leaking the indictment.'

The PCC's Investigation Division 3 (Chief Prosecutor Choi Seok-gyu) sent prosecutors and investigators to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Information and Communications Department around 9:30 a.m. to conduct a search and seizure of the server.

Previously, the PCC conducted a search and seizure for 7 hours and 40 minutes on the 26th. However, during the first 5 hours, time was delayed due to consultations with Supreme Prosecutors' Office officials and observers, preventing the execution of the warrant from being completed, so it was continued on this day.

The PCC launched the search and seizure to verify messenger contents exchanged by the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office investigation team when indicting Chief Prosecutor Lee on May 12. The search and seizure targets were a total of seven people, including prosecutors from the investigation team at that time. The first execution was completed only for Deputy Chief Prosecutor Lim Se-jin, but it is reported that no evidence was secured. This search and seizure is expected to focus on executing warrants for the remaining six individuals.

The indictment leak suspicion case arose when the indictment content of Chief Prosecutor Lee, who was indicted on charges of exerting external pressure on the illegal departure ban investigation of Kim Hak-ui, was reported by the media before the person involved even received it. The PCC formally registered this case in May on charges of leaking official secrets and began an investigation.

Meanwhile, controversy has arisen as the suspect was listed as 'identity unknown' and the leakage process as 'unknown method' in the search and seizure warrant. There are also claims from the search and seizure targets that the PCC included false information to obtain the warrant.

Two prosecutors from the investigation team had returned to their original offices two months before Chief Prosecutor Lee's indictment, but the warrant stated that they remained in the investigation team in a dispatched capacity, which is said to be inaccurate. These prosecutors are reportedly planning to sue the PCC for falsification of official documents.

However, the PCC maintains that there is no problem as the exact facts were specified in the warrant appendix. It is also reported that the search and seizure warrant executed on this day was the same as the one previously issued.

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