Prosecution Agency sends SCIA list of around 200 cases that may be transferred

[Financial News] The Prosecution Agency has sent the Serious Crime Investigation Agency (SCIA) a list of cases that may be transferred to it. The SCIA has begun sorting the cases according to which regional offices will handle them, using the list as a basis. However, no actual case records have been transferred, so the cases are not yet at the stage of a full review.
According to legal sources, the Prosecution Agency sent the SCIA a reference list of cases considered likely to be transferred in the future the previous day. The cases are among those that the former prosecution service initiated on its own, fall within the SCIA’s statutory investigative jurisdiction—including violations of the Capital Markets Act—and are expected to be difficult to resolve within the 90-day grace period.
The list is reported to include around 200 cases. The Prosecution Agency has not disclosed the exact number, citing investigative security and other reasons.
The material is a reference list drawn up in advance of cases considered likely to be transferred; it does not contain actual case records. It reportedly includes only minimal information, such as the offense charged in each case, making it difficult to ascertain the specific alleged criminal conduct.
A Prosecution Agency official explained, “We compiled cases that appear to fall under the SCIA’s jurisdiction based on the charges or nature of the cases and provided a very brief list. It is true that the cases on the list are likely to be transferred, but that has not been finalized.”
Whether the cases will be transferred, and when, will be decided after further consultations between the Prosecution Agency and the SCIA. Cases the SCIA decides not to investigate directly may also be referred to the police.
The SCIA is currently using the list to determine jurisdiction. It is at the stage of assigning each case to the appropriate regional office—for example, transferring cases from the Seoul Central District Prosecution Agency to the Seoul Regional Serious Crimes Investigation Agency.
An SCIA official said, “So far, only the list has been sent over; no actual cases have been transferred. I understand that, as of this morning, work was underway to sort out which regional office would handle the cases.” The official added, “Once actual cases are transferred from the Prosecution Agency, the relevant regional office will begin reviewing the records.”
Meanwhile, the SCIA plans to continue its investigative work using both existing procedures and computerized systems, even though the Korea Information System of Criminal Justice Services (KICS) has not yet been fully developed.
At present, only some KICS functions, including case intake, transfer and assignment, are operational as a priority. Tasks such as preparing suspect interview records can be handled by drafting documents in Hangul files, printing them for signatures and seals, and then uploading them to the computer network.
An SCIA official explained, “The only difference is that electronic signatures are not available; in practice, there is not much difference. We have also reached an agreement allowing warrants to be filed with the court in Hangul file format, so there are no major restrictions on carrying out our work.”
 
[email protected] Choi Eun-sol Reporter