Prosecutors Request Arrest Warrant for Kang Raegu, 'Money Envelope Delivery Agent' in Democratic Party Convention Case (Comprehensive)

The prosecution investigating the Democratic Party of Korea's '2021 Party Convention Money Envelope Scandal' has moved to secure the custody of Kang Raegu, a standing auditor of Korea Water Resources Corporation, who has been identified as the intermediary.

Prosecutors [Image source=Yonhap News]

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According to the legal community on the 20th, the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 2 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Youngcheol) filed an arrest warrant for Kang on the previous day on charges of violating the Political Parties Act and bribery. This is the first arrest warrant requested by the prosecution for a key suspect since the money envelope scandal surfaced.

Kang is accused of conspiring with Democratic Party officials from March to May 2021 to distribute a total of 94 million won in order to elect former party leader Song Younggil at the party convention, instructing and encouraging the provision of money and goods to voters and others (violation of the Political Parties Act). Kang is suspected of leading the process of raising and delivering money together with Democratic Party lawmaker Yoon Gwansuk.

The prosecution has identified that Kang procured 80 million won out of the 94 million won from businessmen in the Daejeon area and others. Of this, 60 million won is reported to have been passed from Park, a former aide to former leader Song in April 2021, and Lee Jeonggeun, former deputy secretary-general of the Democratic Party (indicted and detained), to lawmaker Yoon. Subsequently, the money was divided into envelopes containing 3 million won each and delivered to 10 to 20 lawmakers of the same party through lawmaker Yoon.

Kang is also reported to have been involved in raising 20 million won around the same time to encourage election campaigning, which was delivered twice in 500,000 won increments to 20 regional situation room chiefs. He then proposed, "Let's pay cash to regional headquarters officials to recruit national delegates and party members," and a total of 14 million won was delivered on March 30 and April 11, 2021, respectively, to about 10 and 7 regional headquarters chiefs.

In addition, Kang is accused of receiving 3 million won from businessman Park in September 2020 under the pretext of a delivery request for equipment at a power plant under the Water Resources Corporation (bribery).

The prosecution also applied charges of violating the Political Funds Act during the search and seizure of Kang, but excluded them from the current arrest warrant request, considering that further investigation of the donors and others was necessary. After summoning Kang twice for investigation, the prosecution judged that detention was unavoidable, considering Kang's evidence concealment and destruction just before the search and seizure, concerns about coercion of testimony among accomplices, and the seriousness of the organized large-scale money election case.

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