ID :
205674
Wed, 09/07/2011 - 06:43
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https://oananews.org//node/205674
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Prosecutors to seek arrest warrant for Seoul education chief
SEOUL, Sept. 7 (Yonhap) -- After two days of interrogating the Seoul education chief intensively, prosecutors said Wednesday they will seek a court-issued warrant to arrest him on charges of paying off a rival candidate to get him to drop out of last year's election.
Kwak No-hyun, superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, returned home early Wednesday after undergoing a second interrogation session that lasted more than 14 hours at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in southern Seoul.
The overnight questioning session followed a 16-hour-long interrogation the previous day.
Kwak, who was elected to the post in last year's election, is suspected of giving 200 million won (US$186,567) to Park Myoung-gee, a rival candidate from the same liberal bloc who quit in the middle of the race.
Prosecutors suspect the money was given in return for Park's withdrawal from the election, which contributed to Kwak's election victory. Kwak had allegedly promised a total of 700 million won in a secret deal with the college professor.
During the two interrogation sessions, Kwak consistently denied prosecutors' accusations that he had a secret agreement with Park to provide financial reward for his withdrawal, according to prosecutors. The superintendent previously said the money was only given as a gesture of "goodwill" for Park, who was suffering heavy debts from the election campaign.
Kwak also refuted charges that he used public funds to bankroll the monetary gift to Park, saying he personally raised the funds by borrowing from family members and friends, prosecutors noted.
"The superintendent sincerely responded (to prosecutors' questions) with all he knew without concealing anything," Kim Jin-wook, a lawyer for Kwak, told reporters following the interrogation that ended around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Prosecutors said they will request that the court issue a warrant later in the day to arrest Kwak on charges of paying off a rival candidate in violation of the election law.
The charges could lead to a maximum seven-year prison term or a fine of up to 30 million won, punishments that would be heavy enough to strip Kwak of his position.
In that case, the vice education superintendent would take over as acting Seoul education chief while Kwak stood trial.
The prosecution is also considering indicting a few of Kwak's close aides for their role in the alleged financial transactions during and after the election.
Kwak No-hyun, superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, returned home early Wednesday after undergoing a second interrogation session that lasted more than 14 hours at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in southern Seoul.
The overnight questioning session followed a 16-hour-long interrogation the previous day.
Kwak, who was elected to the post in last year's election, is suspected of giving 200 million won (US$186,567) to Park Myoung-gee, a rival candidate from the same liberal bloc who quit in the middle of the race.
Prosecutors suspect the money was given in return for Park's withdrawal from the election, which contributed to Kwak's election victory. Kwak had allegedly promised a total of 700 million won in a secret deal with the college professor.
During the two interrogation sessions, Kwak consistently denied prosecutors' accusations that he had a secret agreement with Park to provide financial reward for his withdrawal, according to prosecutors. The superintendent previously said the money was only given as a gesture of "goodwill" for Park, who was suffering heavy debts from the election campaign.
Kwak also refuted charges that he used public funds to bankroll the monetary gift to Park, saying he personally raised the funds by borrowing from family members and friends, prosecutors noted.
"The superintendent sincerely responded (to prosecutors' questions) with all he knew without concealing anything," Kim Jin-wook, a lawyer for Kwak, told reporters following the interrogation that ended around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Prosecutors said they will request that the court issue a warrant later in the day to arrest Kwak on charges of paying off a rival candidate in violation of the election law.
The charges could lead to a maximum seven-year prison term or a fine of up to 30 million won, punishments that would be heavy enough to strip Kwak of his position.
In that case, the vice education superintendent would take over as acting Seoul education chief while Kwak stood trial.
The prosecution is also considering indicting a few of Kwak's close aides for their role in the alleged financial transactions during and after the election.
