As news came that the former manager involved in a legal dispute with Park Na-rae over allegations of abuse of power is staying in the United States, some have reacted that it is an attempt to "muddy the issue."
According to a report by a media outlet on the 13th, Park Na-rae's former manager, a person surnamed A, departed for Las Vegas, United States, on the 22nd of last month.
According to the report, two days before the departure, on the 20th, A received the first police interview as the accused at Yongsan Police Station in Seoul. Usually police interviews are not conducted on Saturdays because it is a weekend, but it was reported that the interview was hastily arranged due to A's travel schedule.
It was also reported that a second interview scheduled for the 12th was delayed due to A's stay in the United States. The report also said that the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) investigation into A's complaint had not yet been carried out.
However, the former manager's side explained the schedule regarding the police investigation. A told Ilgan Sports, "I am currently in the United States for health reasons. I have completed police interviews as both the accuser and the accused in relation to these matters," and added, "If I need to undergo further police questioning, I will return to Korea immediately."
In particular, regarding why A received the first interview on a weekend, A elaborated, "The police interview was delayed because Park Na-rae's side delayed submitting materials, so it was inevitably conducted that day." Regarding reports that a second interview was to be held on the 12th, A added, "That was not a confirmed date. I was waiting for the police to inform the exact attendance date."
A continued, "Before I departed, I was told that an embezzlement complaint had been suddenly added by the police and that there might be a second interview. If there is an investigation, I said I would attend immediately."
After the former manager's statement was reported, internet users have shown little reaction to the news of the trip to the United States. One user reacted, "He says he'll go to the U.S. after taking any required questioning, so why? He said he'd come if there's a second interview," "He didn't go without undergoing any questioning, so whether he goes to the U.S. or Europe, do we need to know?", "Do we need to know where the manager is?", "Isn't this just muddying the issue too much?", "Some might think he fled abroad without being questioned," and other comments have been posted.
Meanwhile, the former manager's side claimed that they suffered abuse of power by Park Na-rae as well as special bodily injury, proxy prescribing, illegal medical procedures, and unpaid production fees, and announced a damage claim lawsuit with an application for property attachment of about 100 million won at the Seoul Western District Court.
In response, Park Na-rae's side denied the former managers' claims and instead sued the managers on charges of attempted extortion. The former managers also accused Park Na-rae of embezzlement, saying she falsely registered her ex-boyfriend as an employee and transferred money under the pretext of salary, and filed additional complaints including special bodily injury and defamation. Park Na-rae also filed an additional complaint against the former managers on embezzlement charges, and a police investigation is under way.
[Photo] OSEN DB
[OSEN]