Police close probe without conclusion on ex-Seoul mayor's alleged sexual misconduct
Mourners kneel before ex-Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon at his funeral house in Seoul National University Hospital in Jongno District on July 10, 2020. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
Police said Tuesday they have closed a five-month investigation into allegations that late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon sexually abused a former secretary, failing to reach a conclusion on the high-profile case.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, which launched the investigation in July, said it has wrapped up the case without indictment and will transfer the case to the prosecution.
"We looked into the submitted documents and called in the victim and witnesses but since Park was found dead we plan to transfer the case to the prosecution without indictment according to the relevant law," the police said.
Police said they have called in 26 witnesses and five defendants, including those who worked at the metropolitan government's secretary office, for the probe.
Park was found dead at a Seoul mountain on July 10, two days after the former secretary filed a sexual abuse complaint against him.
Police said they also plan to send a relevant case, in which seven people including senior officials at the city government were accused of abetting the sexual abuse, to the prosecution due to insufficient evidence.
The police, however, said they have suggested the indictment of four people, including two soldiers, for causing secondary damage by leaving malicious online comments targeting the victim.
Six others were also advised to be indicted for posting a photo of a wrong person as the victim, while five were suspected of circulating a document titled "The Victim's Complaint."
Police said one person has been additionally booked and is under probe for releasing the name of the victim online. (Yonhap)