"I'm Ashamed to Show My Hands Empty": Entertainment Business Operator's Message Revealed, While Prostitution Investigation Was Leaked

An active-duty police officer who leaked the progress of a prostitution crackdown investigation at the request of an acquaintance has received a suspended prison sentence in the appellate trial as well.

According to the legal community on Tuesday (August 11), the Suwon High Court dismissed the appeals from both sides in the appellate trial for police officer A, who was indicted on charges including the leakage of official secrets, upholding the lower court's sentence of one year in prison suspended for two years.

Officer A, formerly belonging to a police station in the Suwon area, was put on trial for obtaining and leaking the progress and future investigation plans of a prostitution crackdown case through the investigator in charge in December 2022, following a request from an acquaintance, illegal escort business operator B.

Investigations showed that at the time, operator B contacted Officer A out of concern that the investigation would expand after a woman sent to operator C's adult entertainment establishment was caught red-handed for prostitution.

It was found that the entertainment business operators met Officer A around 3:00 AM on December 29 in the police station parking lot in an attempt to hand over money.

The prosecution indicted Officer A on charges of accepting a 3.03 million won bribe in exchange for covering up the case, but both the first and second-instance courts acquitted him of the bribery charge due to insufficient evidence.

The court stated, "It is not common sense for Officer A to take the risk of wearing his uniform while receiving money in the police station parking lot. Considering that the operator sent a message right after the meeting saying, 'You took care of us, but I'm ashamed to show my hands empty,' there is room to believe the police officer refused the money."

However, the court explained the sentencing reasoning by stating, "The culpability as a police officer is not light, as he leaked secrets related to an investigation," while adding, "Taking into account factors such as his approximately 30 years of faithful service, the suspended sentence is maintained."

Meanwhile, the two business operators who attempted to give money and valuables to the police officer were each sentenced to fines of 5 million won and 6 million won, respectively, upholding the original rulings.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.