'Gyeonggi-do Corporate Card Misuse Allegation' Bae Mo's First Trial Suspended Prison Sentence Appeal

Bae Mo, a former Grade 5 special-appointed public official at Gyeonggi Provincial Government who was tried on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act in connection with the 'corporate card misuse suspicion' involving Kim Hye-gyeong, spouse of Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, appealed the first trial's suspended prison sentence. According to the legal community on the 17th, Bae submitted an appeal to the court that day.

Earlier, on the 10th, the Criminal Division 12 of Suwon District Court (Presiding Judge Hwang In-seong) sentenced Bae, who was indicted without detention on charges including violation of the prohibition of donation acts under the Public Official Election Act and false statement, to 10 months in prison with a 2-year suspension. He was also ordered to perform 160 hours of community service. The court recognized all of Bae's charges as guilty.

Bae is accused of making a donation act under the Public Official Election Act by having the meal expenses of three people, excluding Kim, amounting to 78,000 won, paid with the Gyeonggi Provincial Government corporate card during a meal with Kim and three party-related personnel at a restaurant in Seoul on August 2, 2021.

He is also charged with making false statements under the Public Official Election Act in January 2022 by denying that he handled private matters for the candidate's family when suspicions of Kim's 'corporate card misuse' and 'illegal protocol' were raised.

The prosecution also appealed the first trial's verdict. The prosecution demanded a one-year prison sentence, arguing that Bae denies the crime and has not shown sincere remorse.

Meanwhile, Bae is also under investigation for allegedly using the Gyeonggi corporate card to pay for Kim's personal meals from July 2018 to September 2021 or illegally obtaining prescriptions under other people's names and delivering them to Kim (breach of trust). This part is still under investigation by the prosecution. Kim is also a subject of the investigation.

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