Hong Joon-pyo: “I’m also under investigation; someone else is the main culprit” ... spends seven hours defending an aide at the Public Prosecution Office

[Financial News] Former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo, who personally stepped forward as defense counsel for aides facing allegations of violating the Political Funds Act, strongly criticized the police investigation, saying, “Not only my family but I, too, am under investigation, but someone else is the main culprit in this case.”
Hong appeared at the Daegu District Public Prosecution Office at around 1:50 p.m. on the 10th and remained there for about seven hours, sitting in on the questioning before leaving the building at around 9 p.m.

On his way to appear at the Public Prosecution Office that day, Hong vented his frustration with the police investigation and a former aide, seemingly having made up his mind to speak out. Referring to indications that someone who had been with him for a long time was cooperating with investigators, he did not hide his conflicted feelings, saying, “I had him with me for 14 years. I never thought he’d do this to me.” Local political circles believe the remark was aimed at former Vice Mayor Jeong Jang-su, who served as economic deputy mayor during Hong’s tenure.
Hong also disparaged the police investigation, saying, “The police edited and pieced together the case, then rushed it through.” He then pointed to the court’s recent rejection of arrest warrants for two campaign staffers and expressed confidence: “The police have lost some of their steam. Everything that happened five years ago has been reviewed, and I think the prosecutor will ask probing questions and filter out some of the (far-fetched allegations).”

Hong also criticized changes to the investigative environment at the newly established Public Prosecution Office, created after the recent abolition of the Prosecution Service. He said, “Prosecutors have no authority to investigate directly, so they cannot conduct investigations; they have to hear both sides and make judgments based only on the records,” adding, “Can they familiarize themselves with the records and make a decision in such a short time?”
He went on to emphasize, “The current criminal procedure system allows prosecutors discretion over whether to indict, but if it becomes a system of mandatory prosecution, prosecutors will have no role.” He said, “This case will be a test of the Public Prosecution Office’s role going forward.” Given that the statute of limitations for the case is nearing its end, he predicted that the Public Prosecution Office would soon reach a decision on whether to indict.

Earlier, on the 6th, the Daegu Metropolitan Police Agency referred six people to the Public Prosecution Office on suspicion of violating the Political Funds Act, without detaining them: four people associated with Hong’s campaign and two people associated with a campaign services company.
They are suspected of unlawfully spending about 200 million won in political funds for Hong’s campaign during the People Power Party’s 2021 presidential primary, using methods such as “fabricated transactions (false transactions).” They are also accused of submitting to the National Election Commission an accounting report prepared after the primary using false supporting documents and other materials. Since the case came to light, Hong has personally represented the suspects and has actively sought to establish that he was not involved, including by attending a hearing on arrest warrants at the end of last month.


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