[Breaking News] Prosecutors acquit 10 current and former lawmakers on suspicion of receiving Democratic Party money

The prosecution cleared about 10 former and current lawmakers involved in the ‘suspicion of distributing envelopes from the Democratic Party of Korea’. It has been three years since the full-scale investigation began.

According to the legal community on the 4th, Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office Anti-Corruption Investigation Department 2 (Chief Prosecutor Lee Sang-hyeok) cleared all of the cases of Democratic Party lawmakers Kim Young-ho, Park Seong-jun, Baek Hye-ryun, Min Byeong-deok, and Jeon Yong-gi, former lawmakers Kim Nam-guk, Kim Seung-nam, Park Young-soon, and Lee Yong-bin, and Fatherland Innovation Party lawmaker Hwang Un-ha, who were suspected of receiving money envelopes in mid-March.

Previously, the court did not recognize the mobile phone recording file of former Vice Secretary-General of the Democratic Party Lee Jeong-geun, which was presented as key evidence in this case, as evidence that was collected illegally, and based on this, it also acquitted former Democratic Party leader Song Young-gil of bribery charges. It is known that this judgment had an influence on the acquittal.

The suspicion of distributing money envelopes is that former representative Song and former lawmaker Yoon Kwan-seok systematically delivered cash envelopes containing 3 million won to about 20 Democratic Party members ahead of the Democratic Party National Convention in May 2021.

Former lawmaker Lee Seong-man, who was previously indicted on charges of receiving money envelopes, was found not guilty by the Supreme Court in February. Former CEO Song was also acquitted in the first and second trials, and his acquittal was confirmed when the prosecution gave up on appealing.

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