At a preparatory hearing on the 24th, a domestic recruiter of bank accounts for a Cambodian crime ring that killed a Korean college student flatly denied the charges.
At a trial held under the Daegu District Court's Criminal Division 11 (Presiding Judge Lee Young-cheol) on the 24th, the attorney for a defendant surnamed Hong (25), who was indicted on charges including violating the Electronic Financial Transactions Act, argued, "There is no fact that Hong conspired in a voice phishing crime."
Hong was indicted on charges of conspiring with members of a telecommunications financial fraud ring to have a college student surnamed Park (who died in Aug., then 22) in early July prepare account access media (bankbook, OTP, password) and to have Park depart for Phnom Penh, Cambodia, via Incheon International Airport on the 16th of the same month. Hong and Park were senior and junior at the same university.
Hong's attorney said, "For the deceased Park, we connected what is called a 'work loan,' not voice phishing, but there was no involvement in or planning of the crime. We did not even recognize it as a voice phishing crime."
The attorney added, "After Park and the work loan contact conspired, some details became known, but there was no suggestion of the crime or encouragement to carry it out; on the contrary, we dissuaded Park, saying departure was dangerous."
At the next date on Jan. 9 next year, prosecutors plan to question two witnesses and organize the issues.
Park left for Cambodia in July, telling family, "I will visit a local expo," and was found dead about three weeks later on Aug. 8 in a car near Bokor Mountain in Kampot.