Seoul Metropolitan Council member Kim Kyung, accused over ‘100 million won nomination bribe,’ to face second police questioning on 15th

According to Financial News, Seoul Metropolitan Council member Kim Kyung, who is under suspicion of giving 100 million won to independent lawmaker Kang Sun-woo, is scheduled to appear before police for questioning on the 15th.
According to police on the 14th, the Public Crime Investigation Unit of the Metropolitan Investigation Unit at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has coordinated with Kim’s side and notified him to appear on the morning of the 15th. Kim will be questioned as a suspect on charges including bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, as well as violations of the Political Funds Act and the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act.
Kim is accused of delivering 100 million won to the side of then–Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lawmaker Kang Sun-woo as a so-called nomination bribe ahead of the 2022 local elections. Before returning to Korea, Kim submitted a written statement to police through his attorney, claiming that he had handed over the 100 million won but later got the money back. He is also said to have given testimony in line with that written statement during his first round of questioning conducted immediately after he arrived back in the country on the 11th.
Previously, Kim left for the United States shortly after a criminal complaint was filed against him, then returned on the 11th and underwent about three and a half hours of police questioning. Investigators are focusing their probe on the circumstances of Kim’s departure from the country, the process by which the money was delivered, and whether there was any quid pro quo involved.
Police conducted searches and seizures of Kim’s office at the city council and his residence, securing computers and other devices. However, it is reported that some equipment either had no hard disk installed or showed signs of having been formatted. Investigators also secured two city council PCs that Kim had previously used and then returned, through voluntary submission, and some of these devices likewise showed traces of being reset.
Based on the seized materials and the contents of Kim’s written statement, police plan to use the questioning on the 15th to closely examine how the money was delivered and returned, as well as to probe allegations of evidence destruction.
425_sama@fnnews.com Choi Seung-han Reporter