'Illegal Political Funds Allegation' Former Lawmaker Noh Woong-rae Acquitted in First Trial... 'Illegally Collected Evidence'

[Financial News] Former Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lawmaker Noh Woong-rae, who was indicted on charges of accepting tens of millions of won in bribes and political funds from a businessman, was acquitted in the first trial.
On the 26th, Park Kang Kyun, the presiding judge of Criminal Division 4 at the Seoul Central District Court, found Noh not guilty of bribery, influence peddling, and violating the Political Funds Act.
The court did not recognize the admissibility of electronic data from the mobile phone of Cho, the wife of businessman Park, which was submitted as key evidence. The court determined that this data was 'illegally collected evidence' obtained through voluntary submission during a separate criminal investigation, and that statements made by Park and others based on this information were also considered secondary evidence collected unlawfully. The court stated, 'The procedural violations by the investigative authorities regarding the electronic data in this case seriously undermined the warrant requirement and due process.'
Additionally, the allegation that Noh received tens of millions of won through Cho was not accepted. The court noted that while some evidence indicated Noh received money, this alone was insufficient to prove he intended to accept bribes for personal gain or as compensation for facilitating power plant projects.
In contrast, Park was found guilty of providing illegal political funds to figures including Lee Jung-geun, former deputy secretary-general of the DPK, and was sentenced to one year and five months in prison. The court emphasized, 'Such actions severely undermine the legislative intent of the Political Funds Act and are extremely grave offenses,' adding that 'strict punishment is unavoidable.' Park was taken into custody in court due to concerns about flight risk.
After the acquittal, Noh's side released a statement saying, 'Today's verdict is a victory for judicial justice against political prosecutors,' and described the case as 'a representative example of political oppression, where a sitting opposition lawmaker was branded a criminal from the outset based on groundless allegations and illegally collected evidence.'
Noh was indicted without detention in March 2023 on charges of receiving a total of 60 million won from Park on five occasions between February and December 2020, in exchange for facilitating logistics center permits, power plant supply projects, and solar power business favors.
The Prosecution Service argued that part of the money was provided as campaign funds for the general election and for the party convention, and sought a four-year prison sentence, a fine of 200 million won, and the forfeiture of 50 million won. However, the court did not accept these requests.
scottchoi15@fnnews.com Choi Eun-sol Reporter