Police Refer Hak Ja Han, Yoon Young-ho, and Two Others to Prosecution Service for Illegal Split Donations

[Financial News] Police investigating lobbying allegations involving the Unification Church have referred key church executives accused of making split political donations to the Prosecution Service.
According to the Special Investigation Task Force of the National Office of Investigation, Korean National Police Agency, on the 30th, four individuals—including Hak Ja Han, President of the Unification Church; Yoon Young-ho, former Secretary-General; Jung Won-joo, former chief secretary to President Han; and Gwang-seok Song, former president of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF), an affiliated organization—were referred to the Prosecution Service on charges of violating the Political Funds Act.
They are suspected of systematically delivering illegal political donations to lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties in early 2019. Police believe they made donations under individual names and were later reimbursed by the Unification Church.
This is the first time suspects in the Unification Church case have been referred to the Prosecution Service since the Special Investigation Task Force was launched on the 10th. Given the seven-year statute of limitations for violations of the Political Funds Act, the police prioritized sending the split donation case to prosecutors.
Police are still investigating allegations that, between 2018 and 2020, the Unification Church delivered tens of millions of won in cash and gifts to Jeon Jae-soo, former Minister of Oceans and Fisheries; Jong-Sung Yim, former lawmaker of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK); and Kyuhwan Kim, former lawmaker of the United Future Party.
welcome@fnnews.com Jang Yoo-ha Reporter