A South Korean prosecution investigation staff dismissed anti-graft expenses in opposition to first woman Kim Keon-hee on Wednesday, based on native media. Kim was beforehand investigated by South Korean prosecutors for accepting an roughly three million gained ($2,255) luxurious Dior purse and different costly items from Choi Jae-young, a Korean-American pastor, in 2022.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Workplace mentioned that the anti-graft expenses couldn’t be pursued in opposition to Kim in connection together with her acceptance of the purse and different costly items. The investigation staff allegedly considered the purse as an expression of gratitude and said that it was not related to Choi’s requests to Kim, which included permitting the long run burial of former Korean-American US Home Consultant Jay Chang-joon Kim in a nationwide cemetery. The investigation staff additionally said that Kim was unaware of Choi’s requests as they weren’t conveyed to her. As well as, the investigation staff mentioned South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol was not obliged to report the items as they have been irrelevant to his duties.
The opposition Democratic Social gathering of Korea disagreed with the prosecution investigation staff’s choice and urged the ruling Folks Energy Social gathering to nominate a particular prosecutor to evaluation the investigation. Member of the Democratic Social gathering of Korea and former chairperson of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Fee Jeon Hyun-hee said Yoon breached the nation’s anti-graft regulation by not reporting and returning Kim’s luxurious items and that the staff’s choice to dismiss Kim’s expenses was legally incoherent. As well as, senior spokesman for the Democratic Social gathering of Korea Cho Seung-rae disagreed that the purse was merely an expression of gratitude.
Whereas South Korea’s Improper Solicitation and Graft Act doesn’t stipulate punishments for officers’ spouses, the act stipulates that officers are obliged to instantly report presents their spouses settle for. The prosecutors determined to not cost Kim with accepting a bribe for mediation or violating the Attorney-at-Law Act.
The prosecutor common will both approve the investigation staff’s choice or evaluation their choice by convening an investigation evaluation committee after the investigation staff submits their choice.
Source / Picture: jurist.org
