Prosecutors Raid Police Headquarters Ahead of Investigation Results, Targeting 'Higher-Ups'

[Anchor]

On the very day the police announced their interim investigation results, the prosecution launched a forced investigation into the Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency. Prosecutors raided the offices of the Gwangju police chief and the head of the investigation division, who were in the chain of command for the Jang Yoon-gi case. The prosecution is expected to accelerate its efforts to uncover whether there was intervention from higher-ranking police officials and to determine the motives behind any potential downplaying or cover-up of the case.

Reporter Kim Deok-hyeon has the story.

[Reporter]

The Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office conducted a surprise raid on the Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency at approximately 9:30 a.m. today (July 15) in connection with allegations of a botched investigation into the Jang Yoon-gi case.

The raid took place one hour before the police held their briefing on the interim investigation results.

The search included the offices of the Gwangju police chief and the head of the investigation division, who were part of the police leadership overseeing the Jang Yoon-gi case.

This is interpreted as an effort to determine the extent of involvement by higher-ranking police officials regarding allegations that the investigation was downplayed.

The police, who are conducting their own internal investigation, previously secured testimony from a member of the original investigation team suggesting that the chief of the Gwangsan Police Station was involved in the process of excluding the charge of rape-murder.

However, it is understood that the prosecution is not ruling out the possibility that not only the Gwangsan Police Station and the Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency but also officials higher up were involved.

The prosecution is also focusing on the motives behind why members of the investigation team would have sought to downplay the Jang Yoon-gi case.

The investigation team leader, identified as Police Inspector A, and the Gwangsan Police Station chief have claimed they had no special relationship with Jang Yoon-gi's father, who is a police officer. They have argued that the failure to apply the rape-murder charge was merely a lapse in judgment, not an intentional act.

Therefore, it is reported that the prosecution is examining the possibility that directives from the police leadership to downplay the case served as the motive for the actions taken.

The prosecution conducted its first interrogation today of Police Inspector A, the investigation team leader who was referred to the prosecution under arrest by the police this morning. Following the summons of A's superior, the head of the detective division at the Gwangsan Police Station, two days ago, the prosecution plans to summon the then-chief of the Gwangsan Police Station soon to reconstruct the situation of the investigation at the time.

(Video Editing: Choi Jin-hwa, Design: Choi Ha-neul)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.