Warrants dismissed for two Hong Joon-pyo camp officials on suspicion of illegal expenditure of political funds

Court "Difficult to recognize concerns about flight and destruction of evidence... Lack of justification for need for arrest"

(Daegu = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Seon-hyung = The arrest warrant for two officials suspected of illegally spending political funds of former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo's election campaign during the 2021 People Power Party presidential candidate primary was dismissed on the 27th.

On this day, Chief Judge Son Bong-ki of the Daegu District Court, who was in charge of warrants, dismissed arrest warrants for Mr. Park, the representative of an election service company, who was suspected of violating the Political Fund Act, and Mr. Kim, the accountant for former Mayor Hong's election campaign at the time, after holding a pre-arrest interrogation (substantial examination of warrants).

Chief Judge Son stated the reason for dismissal, saying, “It is difficult to say that there is a risk of escape or destruction of evidence based solely on the data submitted by the investigative agency.”

He continued, "Compulsory dispositions related to the investigation are permitted only within the minimum scope necessary," and added, "Considering various circumstances, such as the need to guarantee the suspect's actual right to defense, it is difficult to say that the reason, necessity, and reasonableness of the detention have been sufficiently demonstrated at this stage."

Mr. Park and Mr. Kim are accused of conspiring during the 2021 People Power Party presidential primary to illegally spend tens of millions of won in political funds for former Mayor Hong's election campaign.

They are also accused of submitting an accounting report prepared using false supporting documents to the National Election Commission after the primary was over.

While investigating the suspicion of 'Myeong Tae-gyun's payment of public opinion poll fees', the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crime Investigation Unit of the Daegu Police Agency discovered circumstances in which they had illegally spent camp political funds and has been conducting an investigation.

Previously, the police had been investigating four people, including former Mayor Hong, who were accused of paying Myung Tae-gyun's poll fees, and handed the case over to the special prosecutor in July of last year.

Afterwards, the case was handed over again in March and the investigation, including search and seizure, continued.

Meanwhile, former Mayor Hong appeared as a defense attorney at the substantive warrant review of Mr. Park and others on this day and denied the related charges.