Prosecutors Launch Probe into Alleged Collusion Between Murder Suspect's Father and Police

The prosecution, which holds direct investigative authority over misconduct cases involving police officers, has launched a probe into allegations of collusion between the father of Jang Yoon-gi (23), a suspect in a high school girl's murder, and the police investigation team.
On July 7, the Gwangju District Prosecutors Office sent investigators to the Gwangju Gwangsan Police Station, which was in charge of the Jang Yoon-gi case, to execute a search and seizure warrant.
Prosecutors have booked multiple police officers, including officials from the criminal investigation team, on charges including leaking official secrets, destruction of evidence, and abetting the destruction of evidence.
The booked officers are accused of failing to secure key evidence—such as cable ties, a sex doll, and an SUV—during the investigation process between the emergency arrest of Jang on May 5 and his referral to the prosecution. They are also accused of leaking investigation details, including information about search and seizure warrants and arrest warrants, to Jang's father, who is an active-duty police officer.
The residences of the booked officers were also searched.
The prosecution decided to conduct a direct investigation considering the gravity of the case, in which the investigation team allegedly handed over an SUV to Jang's father just one day after the incident, only for the cable ties used for binding to disappear from the vehicle, and a sex doll was discarded two days later during the process of handing over the suspect's studio apartment.
Jang's father, an active-duty police inspector, engaged in acts of destroying evidence, such as disposing of the sex doll and burning his son's old mobile phone, which had been missed during the police search. However, he was not criminally booked due to a special provision in the Criminal Act stating that family members cannot be punished for the destruction of evidence.
The police, who had emergency-arrested Inspector A, the head of the Jang Yoon-gi investigation team (Criminal Division), on charges of destruction of evidence one day before the prosecution, plan to reach their own conclusion on the case rather than transferring it to the prosecution midway.
Furthermore, considering the 48-hour arrest limit, the police filed for an arrest warrant for Inspector A on the morning of July 7.
The police, having upgraded the investigation entity from a Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency task force to a National Office of Investigation special team, dispatched personnel to Gwangju today.
Criminal acts committed by police officers can be investigated by both the prosecution and the police.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.