[Anchor]
Prosecutors' investigations surrounding the suspicions involving Chang Yoon-ki are gaining momentum. Investigators have called in an official from the National Office of Investigation (NOI) who allegedly conveyed a "split investigation" policy to the Gwangju Provincial Police Agency under the "headquarters director's orders." This marks the first time prosecutors have summoned an NOI official in connection with the Chang Yoon-ki case.
Here is a report by reporter Kim Deok-hyeon.
[Reporter]
A man in a suit wearing a black mask enters the prosecutors' office building.
He is Superintendent Choi, head of the violent crimes division at the National Office of Investigation under the Korean National Police Agency, marking the first time an NOI official has been summoned by prosecutors.
[Superintendent Choi / Head of Violent Crimes Division, National Office of Investigation, Korean National Police Agency: (Did you ever convey that the head of the National Office of Investigation ordered a split investigation?) …….]
Prosecutors summoned Superintendent Choi as a reference witness to question him about the circumstances under which he told the head of the violent crimes division at the Gwangju Provincial Police Agency last May to investigate Chang Yoon-ki's murder case and sexual assault crime separately.
Prosecutors are focusing in particular on the aspect where Superintendent Choi relayed the message, "It is an order from the head of the headquarters," to the Gwangju agency.
This is because Superintendent Choi has been directly communicating with the NOI leadership while also serving as the acting head of the violent crimes department at the NOI, a vacant position.
Former Superintendent Park, the former head of the criminal investigation division at Gwangsan Police Station who directly investigated the "Chang Yoon-ki case," was also summoned by prosecutors.
Representatives for former Superintendent Park previously claimed that "there was a directive from the National Office of Investigation to separate Chang Yoon-ki's sexual assault crime and murder case," adding that they requested a "combined investigation" through the Gwangju Provincial Police Agency, but the NOI blocked it three times.
Through questioning related individuals, prosecutors are focusing on figuring out whether there is any connection between suspicions of initial botched investigations by the Gwangsan Police Station and direct directives from the leadership of the NOI, which serves as the control tower for police investigations.
In response, the NOI previously explained that it "exercised guidance to secure investigative completeness" after judging that it would be difficult to even prove the sexual assault crime within the prosecution transfer period for the Chang Yoon-ki case.
(Camera filming: Joo Beom | Video editing: Choi Hye-ran | Design: Jang Chae-woo)
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