[Anchor]

The prosecution has launched a full-scale investigation into the Gwangju Gwangsan Police Station, conducting extensive raids regarding their handling of the case involving high school student murderer Jang Yoon-gi. The primary focus of the investigation is on allegations of evidence tampering and the leakage of investigative information by the police team.

Reporter Kim su-yun has the story.

[Reporter]

Prosecution investigators arrived at the Gwangju Gwangsan Police Station early in the morning.

The Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office has initiated its first search and seizure operation targeting the police team that investigated the case of Jang Yoon-gi, who murdered a high school student.

[(Could you please tell us what evidence you are securing?) ......]

The prosecution has booked Inspector A, the team leader who handled the Jang Yoon-gi case, and Investigator B from the same team on charges including breach of official duty by leaking secrets and destruction of evidence. They also raided the residence of Inspector A, as well as the offices of the Criminal Investigation Division and the Women and Youth Affairs Division at the Gwangsan Police Station.

The prosecution, which included the current workplace of the former head of the Criminal Investigation Division and the office of the Gwangsan Police Station chief in the search, plans to examine whether higher-ranking officials were involved.

The prosecution is expected to focus its investigation on the suspected collusion between the police team and Jang Yoon-gi's father, Inspector Jang, who is a serving police officer in the Gwangju area.

It was found that immediately after the murder of the high school student occurred on May 5, the police team provided Inspector Jang with his son's address and password. Inspector Jang then personally retrieved and destroyed two "real dolls," which were key pieces of evidence proving the sexual assault.

Allegations have also been raised that the police team shared confidential investigative details with Inspector Jang, including the fact that they planned to apply for an arrest warrant for his son and the contents of that warrant.

Furthermore, it was revealed that the team received a DNA analysis report on the real dolls from the National Forensic Service but failed to forward it, only sending it to the prosecution after its existence was recently uncovered. Additionally, it was newly discovered that Inspector A recently ordered a subordinate to delete a video captured during the search of Jang Yoon-gi's vehicle, which showed cable ties believed to be tools used in the kidnapping and sexual assault.

The prosecution reportedly captured multiple recordings of conversations between Inspector Jang and the police team on a mobile phone seized during a search in May, and it is understood that they have re-secured this device.

The prosecution has also reportedly confirmed a conversation from May 6, the day after Jang Yoon-gi was arrested in an emergency operation, in which Investigator B told Inspector Jang, "Instructions have come down from above to ensure that no one knows you are a police officer and the father of Jang Yoon-gi."

Reported by Jung Gyeong-mun | Video by Shin Se-eun | Produced by SBS Digital News