Prosecution Appeals 4-Year Prison Sentence for Tax Official in 'False Tax Invoice Issuance Conspiracy' Case

The prosecution has decided to appeal the first-instance ruling that sentenced a tax official to four years in prison for issuing false tax invoices and accepting bribes.

On the 21st, the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office announced that it had filed an appeal against the first-instance ruling on Shin Mo, a tax official indicted for violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (bribery) and the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, citing inappropriate sentencing. The prosecution had requested a seven-year prison sentence for Shin in the first trial.

The prosecution stated, "The amount received was excessive, and it disrupted the tax order, obstructing the fair execution of duties by the tax official," adding, "We appealed on the grounds of inappropriate sentencing to seek a heavier punishment."

The 11th Criminal Division of the Seoul Western District Court (Presiding Judge Bae Seong-jung) sentenced Shin on the 15th to four years in prison, a fine of 100 million won, and confiscation of 71.5 million won. Shin is accused of issuing false tax invoices worth approximately 36.5 billion won and receiving 71.5 million won as a bribe in exchange for quashing a tax investigation. The court explained, "As a tax official, he accepted bribes worth 71.5 million won related to his duties, and such misconduct by a public official undermines the public nature of administrative work," adding, "It damages public trust in the entire national administration, so strict accountability is unavoidable, and the defendant completely denied the charges, which worsens the nature of the crime."

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