Prosecution Indicts Former Democratic Party Deputy Secretary-General Lee Jeong-geun for Receiving 1 Billion Won Bribe

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] On the 19th, the prosecution sent former Democratic Party Deputy Secretary-General Lee Jeong-geun to trial on charges of receiving 1 billion KRW in bribes from a businessman in exchange for various favors, including personnel appointments at public institutions.

The Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 2 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Young-chul) indicted Lee on charges of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (accepting bribes for mediation) and the Political Funds Act.

Lee is accused of receiving 940 million KRW in multiple installments from businessman Park, under the pretext of mediating the allocation of government energy funds worth over 10 billion KRW from December 2019 to January 2022, approvals related to the mask business, public institution supplies, and promotions of executives at Korea Southern Power Co., Ltd.

He is also accused of receiving illegal political funds amounting to 330 million KRW several times from Park between February and April 2020, during the 21st National Assembly elections, under the name of election expenses.

The prosecution considers that some of the money received as mediation fees and the illegal political funds overlap, and thus determined the total amount received to be 1 billion KRW.

Lee served as the head of Moon Jae-in's campaign headquarters during the 19th presidential election and as the deputy head of Lee Jae-myung's campaign headquarters during the 20th presidential election. He also ran as the Democratic Party candidate for Seoul Seocho-gap in the 2016 and 2020 general elections, as well as in the March by-election this year.

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