Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Team Responds to Series of Warrant Dismissals: “Facts Fully Verified”... Preparing for Prosecution Maintenance

[Financial News] The Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Team, led by Lee Myeong-hyeon, commented on the dismissal of warrants for suspects accused of obstructing the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) investigation, stating, "We have sufficiently substantiated the facts, so there should be no issue persuading the court during the prosecution maintenance stage."
The special prosecutor team is wrapping up investigations into key allegations such as 'investigation interference' and 'Lee Jong-sup’s escape,' and plans to begin preparations for prosecution maintenance once the investigation period concludes.
At a regular briefing on the 18th, Jeong Min-young, assistant special prosecutor for the Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Team, addressed the previous day's dismissal of arrest warrants for former CIO deputy chief prosecutors Kim Sun-kyu and Song Changjin, stating, "Even aside from legal interpretations, we have confirmed the facts sufficiently to prove the case." He added, "Given the thorough verification of facts during the investigation, we believe there will be no difficulty persuading the court at the prosecution maintenance stage."
The court dismissed the arrest warrants for the two individuals, citing 'disputes over the facts and legal interpretations of the charges' and 'low risk of evidence destruction.' As a result, nine out of ten warrants requested by the special prosecutor team for charges including 'investigation interference,' 'professional negligence resulting in death or injury,' and 'obstruction of the CIO investigation' have been dismissed.
On this day, the special prosecutor team questioned former National Security Office Director Cho Tae-yong, who is currently in custody, and plans to complete the investigation into former Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-sup’s alleged assistance in the escape of the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Australia by the 19th.
On the 20th or 21st, the team will decide whether to indict those implicated in the Chae Sang-byeong Marine case investigation interference allegations, with former President Yoon Suk Yeol at the center. Separately, cases such as 'Lee Jong-sup’s escape' and 'CIO investigation interference' are expected to be mostly concluded in the comprehensive investigation results announcement on the 26th.
Regarding the 'Lee Jong-sup’s escape' case, the team plans to indict only those for whom conspiracy to aid escape can be established, rather than holding all officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Ministry of Justice (MOJ) accountable. Meanwhile, suspicions of lobbying by former 1st Marine Division Commander Im Seonggeun are unlikely to be prosecuted separately, as no evidence supporting a crime has been found; instead, these will be treated as supporting evidence for the investigation interference allegations.
After the investigation period ends on the 28th, the special prosecutor team will retain a staff of about 30 dedicated to prosecution maintenance, who will relocate to a new building to continue their remaining work.

scottchoi15@fnnews.com Choi Eun-sol Reporter