An investigative team that uncovered bribery charges against police officers who leaked wanted-person information to a private detective has been selected as an exemplary case by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office.
The Supreme Prosecutors' Office announced today (August 28) that five investigative teams, including Criminal Division 1 of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office (led by Senior Prosecutor Kim Hee-young), were selected as "exemplary criminal division investigation cases" for July of this year.
Suwon District Prosecutors' Office Criminal Division 1 indicted two active-duty police officers last month on charges of receiving money from a private detective in exchange for sharing information on fugitives.
According to the prosecution, the police initially referred the suspects to the prosecution relying solely on suspect statements for simple leakage of official secrets, without verifying whether they received money or identifying any accomplices.
However, through supplementary investigations including search and seizures as well as analysis of bank accounts and communication records, the prosecution uncovered signs of collusion between the police and the private detective, bringing them to trial on additional charges such as accepting bribes for illegal acts.
Investigations showed that one of the indicted police officers even created a price list for personal information queried through official police terminals, charging 150,000 won for vehicle registration lookups and 800,000 won for criminal investigation history checks.
The Criminal Division of the Hongseong Branch of the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office (led by Senior Prosecutor Lim Hong-joo) was also selected as an exemplary case for uncovering stalking charges against a suspect who murdered his ex-girlfriend's partner.
After analyzing one year's worth of the suspect's call records, the prosecution confirmed that he stalked the victims for a year and researched the purchase of an air rifle, leading to his indictment with additional violations of the Stalking Punishment Act.
The Women and Child Crimes Investigation Department of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (led by Senior Prosecutor Park Ji-na), which indicted four false accusation offenders including a former cram school representative who framed a resigned employee as a sex offender, was also recognized for its thorough supplementary investigation.
In addition, Criminal Division 2 of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office (led by Senior Prosecutor Ki No-sung), which uncovered a 2.1 billion won dental insurance fraud scheme, and the Women and Child Crimes Investigation Department of the Busan District Prosecutors' Office (led by Senior Prosecutor Lee Eun-yoon), which detained and indicted a suspect on charges including fatal abuse for gaslighting his girlfriend to death, were included among the exemplary cases.
The Supreme Prosecutors' Office also selected six prosecutors who dedicated themselves to handling long-term unresolved cases—such as Prosecutor Ahn Hong-gyun of Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (42nd Judicial Research and Training Institute)—praising them for quietly fulfilling the fundamental duties of a criminal division.
Amid ongoing debates over the abolition of supplementary investigation powers, the prosecution has actively introduced exemplary cases of supplementary investigations to argue for the necessity of retaining such authority.
However, with the revised Criminal Procedure Act abolishing supplementary investigation powers set to take effect this coming October, the prosecution's investigative authority, maintained for 72 years, will disappear into history.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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