By Na Jeong-ju
A court rejected the prosecution’s request to issue arrest warrants for former Vice Culture Minister Shin Jae-min and SLS Group Chairman Lee Kook-chul, Thursday, who are involved in a bribery scandal.
The refusal is expected to deal a blow to the prosecution’s investigation into the scandal, which erupted last month following Lee’s revelations that he bribed several presidential aides, including Shin.
The prosecution sought arrest warrants for both earlier this week, saying it secured evidence that Shin spent at least 100 million won using a corporate credit card issued by Lee’s firm and took cash and gift certificates from the businessman.
The Seoul Central District Court, however, turned down its request, saying there was little possibility that Shin and Lee would flee or attempt to destroy evidence.
A presiding judge, however, said the prosecution should continue its probe into allegations made by the businessman.
“The prosecution needs to verify the truth behind the bribery allegations through additional investigations,” said Lee Sook-youn, a judge at the district court.
The prosecution expressed disappointment with the court’s decision, saying it will seek their detention again for further questioning. Shin and Lee were released early Thursday morning.
Prosecutors suspect that the former vice minister took some 1 billion in bribes from the businessman in return for business favors. Shin used SLS’s corporate credit card and received cash as well as gift certificates from Lee from 2002 to 2009.
During interrogations, Shin, a former journalist, admitted to having accepted money from Lee, but denied that he did anything in return.
Concluding its initial investigations into the case, the prosecution said the allegations involving other presidential aides, including Lim Jae-hyun, presidential secretary for policy publicity, and Kwak Seung-joon, head of the Presidential Council for Future and Vision, were not true.
It also said there is no evidence supporting Lee’s claims that he gave money to some senior prosecutors, drawing criticism that its investigation was not fair.
Early this month, Lee revealed that he had been keeping records showing who took money from him and how much he gave them. Asked by reporters on Thursday whether he would disclose the records, he refused to comment.