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Sun, August 14, 2022 | 12:48
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Ex-PM gets suspended term
'成 리스트' 이완구 前총리 1심 유죄…집행유예 2년
Posted : 2016-01-29 17:59
Updated : 2016-01-30 20:10
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Former Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo speaks to reporters in front of the Seoul Central District Court, Friday, after he was found guilty of having received 30 million won ($27,000) from Sung Wan-jong, a business man who killed himself last year. Lee was sentenced to eight months in prison suspended for two years. / Yonhap
Former Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo speaks to reporters in front of the Seoul Central District Court, Friday, after he was found guilty of having received 30 million won ($27,000) from Sung Wan-jong, a business man who killed himself last year. Lee was sentenced to eight months in prison suspended for two years. / Yonhap

By Jhoo Dong-chan


Former Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo was sentenced to eight months in jail, suspended for two years, after being found guilty of taking bribes from a businessman who committed suicide.

He was also ordered to pay 30 million won ($27,000) in forfeiture.

According to the Seoul Central District Court, Friday, Lee was convicted of accepting 30 million ($27,000) in cash from Sung Woan-jong, the late former chairman of the construction company Keangnam Enterprises, at his election office in 2013

"Evidence including Sung's interview records, and a reporter and his secretaries' testimonies are believed to be authentic," the court said in its ruling.

The court acknowledged the interview record as evidence although it only admitted testimonies at the trial.

"We found that there were detailed circumstances which prove the reliability of Sung's testimony without false interference from others," the court said.

The former prime minister was one of eight high-profile politicians listed on a memo, which Sung left behind before killing himself on April 9, last year.

Lee immediately denied the allegation against him, claiming that he did not know Sung very well and never met him in person but then resigned from the prime minister post on April 27, only two months after taking the position.

The prosecution then indicted Lee without detention in July for accepting a bribe from Sung in April 2013 at Lee's office in Buyeo, South Chungcheong Province, during his campaign in a by-election.

While the prosecution presented evidence such as surveillance camera footage showing Sung's car passing through the Buyeo tollgate and the mobile phone call log between the two, the former prime minister denied such a meeting took place.

Lee said that he will appeal but drop his bid for a parliamentary seat in April.

"I will lodge an appeal to prove my innocence," Lee said after the ruling. "Separate from the ruling, I will not run in the upcoming general election in April."

South Gyeongsang Province Governor Hong Joon-pyo, another figure included on the bribery list of eight, was also indicted without detention in July as well.

He was also accused of receiving 100 million won from the late businessman through a former company executive in June 2011. Two hearings have been held since then.

The other six were: Rep. Hong Moon-jong of the ruling Saenuri Party; Busan Mayor Seo Byung-soo; Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok; presidential Chief of Staff Lee Byung-kee; and two former chiefs of staff, Huh Tae-yeol and Kim Ki-choon.

The six were not indicted. Sung hanged himself before a court hearing over the issuing of an arrest warrant for him on embezzlement charges.


'成 리스트' 이완구 前총리 1심 유죄…집행유예 2년

법원 '성완종 마지막 인터뷰 내용·정황 증거·관련자 진술 부합'
이 전 총리 '결백하다…항소심에서 다투겠다'

'성완종 리스트' 사건에 연루돼 기소된 이완구(66) 전 국무총리가 1심에서 유죄를 선고받았다.

서울중앙지법 형사합의22부(장준현 부장판사)는 29일 '성완종이 피고인에게 3천만원을 건넸다는 인터뷰 내용과 정황 증거, 관련자 진술이 부합한다'며 이 전 총리의 혐의(정치자금법 위반)를 유죄로 보고 징역 8개월에 집행유예 2년, 추징금 3천만원을 선고했다.

재판부는 성 전 회장이 사망해 법정에서 직접 진술하지 못했지만, 그가 남긴 전화 인터뷰 녹음 파일과 녹취록을 형사소송법에 따라 증거로 인정할 수 있다고 봤다.

재판부는 '성완종의 진술 내용이나 그 녹취 과정에 허위 개입의 여지가 거의 없고 진술 내용의 신빙성을 담보할 구체적이고 외부적인 정황도 있다고 판단했다'고 밝혔다.

형사소송법상 증거는 오로지 법정에서 이뤄진 진술만 인정되지만, 예외로 당사자가 사망한 사유 등으로 진술할 수 없는 경우에는 '특히 신빙할 수 있는 상태' 하에서 진술 또는 작성된 것이 증명된 때에 한해 관련 서류를 증거로 삼을 수 있다고 규정돼 있다.

재판부는 '성완종이 피고인에 대한 배신과 분노의 감정으로 모함하고자 허위 진술을 한 것 아닌가 의심을 갖게도 하지만, 기자로부터 정권 창출 과정에 어떻게 도움을 줬는지 설명해달란 질문을 받고 금품 공여 사례를 거론한 경위가 자연스럽다'고 판단했다.

2013년 4월 4일 성 전 회장이 이 전 총리의 부여 선거사무소를 방문했다는 비서진의 진술이 모두 일치하고 성 전 회장 차량의 고속도로 통행정보(하이패스) 기록과 성 전 회장을 봤다는 선거사무소 자원봉사자의 진술 등을 종합하면 당일 두 사람이 만난 것이 맞다고 봤다.

아울러 재무본부장이 2013년 상반기 성 전 회장 지시로 3천만원을 포장해 비서에게 건넸다는 진술, 비서진이 재무본부장에게 쇼핑백을 받아 차에 실었다는 진술, 그 즈음 경남기업 비자금 계좌에서 총 3천100만원이 인출된 사실 등이 부합해 성 전 회장이 이 전 총리에게 건넨 쇼핑백에 3천만이 들어있었음을 인정할 수 있다고 결론지었다.

재판부는 '성완종의 비서진이 위증의 무거운 책임을 져야 하는 부담감을 이겨내고 허위진술을 할 이유가 없다'고 말했다.

이어 '피고인이 국회의원을 역임하고 충남도지사로 재직한 바 있는 중진 정치인으로 민주정치 발전을 계도할 지위에 있었음에도 음성적 정치자금을 수수해 국민의 신뢰를 훼손했으므로 그 죄를 가볍게 볼 수 없다'며 '다만, 공직에 헌신하며 국가발전에 기여한 점을 참작했다'고 양형 이유를 설명했다.

이 전 총리는 2013년 4월 4일 오후 5시께 충남 부여 선거사무실에서 성 전 회장에게서 현금 3천만원이 든 쇼핑백을 건네받은 혐의로 작년 7월 불구속 기소됐다.

이 전 총리는 이날 재판이 끝난 뒤 '재판부가 검찰 주장을 토씨 하나 안 빠뜨리고 다 받아들였지만 나는 결백하다'면서 '항소심에서 다투겠다'고 밝혔다. (연합뉴스)
Emailjhoo@ktimes.com Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
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