Police Probe Misdelivered Cash Box
By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter
A corruption deal between a council member and a non-permanent worker at the district office was uncovered when a ``money box'' was delivered to a wrong address, police said Friday.
According to Gwangju Police Office, a non-permanent worker at a district-run library and a janitor of an apartment in its vicinity reported to the office Tuesday with a box packed with five million won in cash and cuts of expensive beef.
Police said the library worker had asked the janitor to give the box back to him, saying that he had sent the box but it was delivered to the wrong address. The janitor refused to do so, citing a lack of evidence to judge whether he was the rightful.
Tracing the delivery route, police confirmed the library worker was the sender of the box, but also found it was a bribe destined to be given to a district council member.
Police said the temporary library worker visited an apartment at which the council member lives and handed over the box to a janitor with a piece of paper with the council member's address. The box was delivered to the address as written but the councilman's house was next door.
Finding the bundles of cashes, the first recipient returned the package to the janitors' office. The library worker discovered the `gift' had been sent to the wrong address and attempted to retrieve it.
"We believe this was a bribe he sent to keep his job,'' a police officer familiar with the case said. ``Both the employee and council member will be summoned for questioning.''
The council member denied the allegation, saying ``I have no clue about this. It could be a ploy to damage my reputation.''