Police have referred Ko Young-cheol, head of the National Credit Union Federation of Korea (Shinhyup), to prosecutors without detention on suspicion of violating election law. It comes four months after Ko took office as the 34th head of the National Credit Union Federation of Korea. Because the statute of limitations in this case has less than a week left, prosecutors are expected to indict Ko this week.
According to reporting compiled by ChosunBiz on the 30th, the Dunsan Police Station in Daejeon referred Ko to prosecutors without detention on the afternoon of the 29th on suspicion of violating the Act on the Election of Public Officials Entrusted by Public Organizations (entrusted election law). Police said they found evidence to prove Ko's alleged violations and decided on referral without detention because there was no concern that Ko would destroy evidence or flee.
Ko is suspected of violating the entrusted election law by visiting, along with Choi, a planning director at the federation and a close associate, the heads of member unions with voting rights at a time that was not within the campaign period for the 34th federation chief election and asking for their support. In response, the federation's labor union filed a complaint on the 19th, saying Ko violated Article 24, Paragraph 2 (pre-campaigning) and Article 38 (restrictions on door-to-door visits) of the entrusted election law.
At the end of May, the labor union first filed a complaint alleging that Planning Director Choi violated the entrusted election law. Police, while investigating Choi, identified allegations involving Ko and moved quickly, immediately setting a date to summon Ko for questioning.
The statute of limitations in Ko's case is July 6. The statute of limitations for entrusted election law violations is six months from the election day, and the election in which Ko was chosen as the 34th federation chief was held on Jan. 7.
Because the initial complaint in the case was filed about six weeks before the statute of limitations, police are said to have communicated closely with prosecutors from the investigation stage. They concluded that if prosecutors requested supplementary investigation, the statute of limitations could expire.
After the union's complaint, Ko said in an internal statement, "We will respond firmly to the union's illegal acts, including the spread of false information, defamation, and obstruction of business."