It has been confirmed that the former chief of the detective division at Gwangju Gwangsan Police Station, who is suspected of covering up the investigation into the Jang Yoon-gi case, is being questioned as a suspect today (July 15).

The National Office of Investigation's special investigation team under the National Police Agency booked the former detective chief, identified as Superintendent A, on charges of abuse of power yesterday.

Superintendent A is suspected of unfairly intervening in the case of Jang Yoon-gi, who murdered a high school girl in May, by forcing the application of a general murder charge—which carries a relatively lighter sentence—despite internal opinions from the investigation team that a charge of rape-murder should be applied.

The special investigation team reportedly secured testimony from the investigation team leader, Inspector B, who was previously arrested on charges of destroying evidence. Inspector B stated that his superior, Superintendent A, had decided to apply the general murder charge, claiming there was insufficient evidence to prove rape-murder, and that he had agreed to this decision.

The summoning of Superintendent A as a suspect just one day after he was booked is interpreted as an effort to accelerate the investigation into identifying the higher-ups responsible for the alleged botched investigation, based on such testimonies.

The special investigation team plans to question Superintendent A regarding the circumstances that led to the application of the general murder charge.

During a briefing on the interim investigation results this morning, the special investigation team announced that it has referred Inspector B to the prosecution while under arrest on charges including the concealment of evidence.