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| Former Vice Justice Minister Kim Hak-ui remains silent as reporters question him about bribery allegations, at the Seoul Central District Court, Thursday. The court reviewed whether to issue an arrest warrant for him, and issued one later the same day. Yonhap |
By Bahk Eun-ji
Former Vice Justice Minister Kim Hak-ui, 63, was arrested, late Thursday night, over his alleged acceptance of bribes and involvement in a sex scandal. The arrest came six years after the allegations first emerged in March 2013. The third investigation unveiled fresh allegations of bribery and he was arrested, fueling suspicions that two previous investigations in 2013 and 2014, which cleared him of all suspicions, were poorly conducted and probably interfered with by Cheong Wa Dae, that supported Kim at the time.
The Seoul Central District Court issued an arrest warrant for him, saying he was a flight risk and was likely to destroy evidence.
Kim is accused of receiving around 130 million won ($109,080) in kickbacks between 2006 and 2008 and sexual services over 100 times paid for by building contractor Yoon Jung-cheon, as well as taking about 40 million won from another businessman surnamed Choi.
Of the 130 million won, 100 million won allegedly lent to a woman surnamed Lee ― by Yoon ― who claimed Kim and other men raped her at a sex party at Yoon's holiday home in Wonju, Gangwon Province. When Yoon demanded Lee pay back the 100 million won in 2008, Kim allegedly urged him to forgive the loan in an attempt to prevent her from disclosing the rape in return. Yoon allegedly did so in return for Kim's promise to give him favors in future legal issues. The court recognized this as a bribe.
Yoon also told prosecutors that he had hired at least six prostitutes for Kim. But the prosecution did not include the rape and sex service acceptance allegations in its request for the arrest warrant for now, because Kim was cleared of the suspicions in two earlier investigations. Prosecutors plan to keep investigating the allegations and collect more evidence.
Kim, who had denied all the allegations and claimed he did not know Yoon, belatedly backed down at the court review on his arrest warrant saying he did know Yoon; but he still denied accepting bribes and sex services. He partly admitted to accepting money from Choi.
The court said he was likely to flee, considering his March attempt to leave for Thailand. At the time prosecutors imposed an emergency overseas travel ban on him and he was stopped from leaving the country at a boarding gate at Incheon International Airport.
Following the arrest, criticism has grown about the two former investigations, in which police and the prosecution cleared him of the sex allegations and did not even look into the bribery charges, citing a lack of evidence.
The current team is investigating the prosecutors who were in charge of the case in 2013 and 2014.
It has been alleged that the prosecution tried to tone down the investigations following pressure from Cheong Wa Dae under Park Geun-hye. The current team is looking into the alleged interference with the investigation and plan to question those involved, particularly Kwak Sang-do, then a senior presidential secretary for civil affairs and now a main opposition Liberty Korea Party lawmaker.
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