The allegation that singer and actress Sung Yu Ri's husband, Ahn Seong-hyun, accepted bribes in exchange for listing crypto assets is set to be decided by the Supreme Court.
according to legal sources, prosecutors filed a notice of appeal on the 6th with the Seoul High Court Criminal Division 13 (Director General Baek Gang-jin, Kim Seon-hee, Yoo Dong-gyun).
The Seoul High Court recently acquitted Ahn Seong-hyun, who had been sentenced to four years and six months in prison in the first trial for allegedly accepting tens of billions of won in exchange for arranging a cryptocurrency listing. The first trial handed down a prison term, saying he accepted cash and luxury watches as payment for arranging a coin listing, but the second trial found it difficult to accept the credibility of the testimony of the key witness, Kang Jong-hyun.
Although the verdict was overturned to not guilty, prosecutors filed a notice of appeal, rejecting the ruling, and the final decision will be made by the Supreme Court.
Ahn Seong-hyun is accused, along with former Bithumb Holdings CEO Lee Sang Jun, of receiving tens of billions of won from businessman Kang Jong-hyun between Sept. and Nov. 2021 in exchange for a request to list coin A on the exchange (accepting bribes). Prosecutors believe Ahn Seong-hyun and the former CEO received 3 billion won in cash, two luxury watches worth about 400 million won, and a high-end restaurant membership card from Kang Jong-hyun and coin issuer associate Mr. Song. In particular, Ahn Seong-hyun is also accused of deceiving Kang Jong-hyun by saying that the former CEO wanted the 2 billion won listing fee quickly and embezzling that 2 billion won separately.
He was indicted without detention in Sept. 2023, and in the first trial held in Dec. 2024, three defendants except Mr. Song were sentenced to imprisonment and were simultaneously taken into custody in court. Ahn Seong-hyun, who was sentenced to four years and six months, was released from detention after his bail request was granted in April last year.
Meanwhile, when her husband was taken into custody, Sung Yu Ri expressed her grievance on social media, saying, "I fervently pray that the truth behind the unfair and difficult things our family is going through will be revealed." Sung Yu Ri, who suspended her broadcasting activities amid controversy related to her husband, returned through a home shopping appearance and recently appeared on tvN's "keutkkaji ganda".
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