Prosecutors Return Audit Office Senior Official's 'Bribery Suspicion' Case to Corruption Investigation Office

Prosecution: "Insufficient Evidence Collection and Legal Review"

The prosecution has returned the case related to the bribery of a senior official at the Board of Audit and Inspection to the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Division (HOCI), stating that additional investigation is necessary.

Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Seocho-gu, Seoul. / Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

On the 12th, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office announced, "We have transferred all related documents and evidence concerning the 'bribery case of a senior official at the Board of Audit and Inspection' received from HOCI back to HOCI."

After reviewing the evidentiary relationships and legal grounds of the investigation records sent by HOCI, the prosecution judged that the current investigation results from HOCI alone are insufficient to decide whether to prosecute, as the evidence collection on factual matters and review of related legal grounds have not been adequate.

The prosecution stated, "Considering HOCI's legal status and nature, rather than conducting separate evidence collection or legal review at the prosecution to re-examine and decide on the criminal charges, it is deemed more appropriate for HOCI to carry out additional investigations to collect evidence or re-examine the legal grounds."

Accordingly, the prosecution added opinions on the evidence and legal grounds and transferred all related documents and evidence received from HOCI back to HOCI on the same day.

Previously, in November of last year, HOCI requested the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office to indict Kim, a Grade 3 executive at the Board of Audit and Inspection, and B, who was the nominal CEO of A Corporation operated by Kim, on charges of bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes and embezzlement under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes.

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