"Influencer's Husband Arrested for Bribery in Fraud Cover-Up... Police Inspector's Warrant Dismissed"

Court Cites "Risk of Evidence Destruction"

A wealthy individual has been arrested on charges of bribing the police in an attempt to cover up the fraud case involving their spouse, a well-known influencer.

Wealthy businessman Lee, husband of a famous influencer accused of violating the Capital Markets Act and bribery, is appearing at the pre-trial detention hearing held at the Southern District Court in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul on the 22nd. Photo by Yonhap News

On April 22, Hwang Jungyeon, the presiding judge in charge of warrants at the Seoul Southern District Court, issued an arrest warrant after holding a pre-trial detention hearing for Mr. Lee, who is accused of violating the Capital Markets Act and the Act on the Regulation of Conducting Financial Investment Business, among other charges.

Judge Hwang explained, "There is a risk of evidence being destroyed."

The arrest warrant for Inspector Song, who was also under review for charges including bribery and leaking official secrets, was dismissed.

Judge Hwang stated, "There is a need to guarantee the right to defense, as there is a dispute over whether the favors or money provided constitute bribery."

Person A, a famous influencer and model for a Pilates franchise, was sued by franchise owners in July 2024 on charges of fraud and violating the Franchise Business Act. However, in December of the same year, the case was closed with a decision of 'no charges.'

Prosecutors suspect that Mr. Lee, through Police Superintendent B, with whom he was personally acquainted, arranged for entertainment at a room salon and provided money to Inspector Song. Inspector Song is believed to have leaked investigative information about Person A, which was being handled by another team, to Mr. Lee. Based on this, the prosecutors requested arrest warrants for both individuals.

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