The joint prosecution-police investigative team probing allegations of collusion between religion and politics sought arrest warrants for three former leaders of Shincheonji over allegations that the group "forced party membership."
On the 13th, the team said it requested arrest warrants for three people, including former General Affairs Director Godong-an, once called the "No. 2" in Shincheonji, and the former general affairs directors of the John Tribe and the Simon Tribe, on charges including violating the Political Parties Act. This is the first attempt to secure suspects in custody 158 days after the team was launched on Jan. 6.
Godong-an and others are suspected of coercing believers to join the People Power Party as party members from 2021 to 2024 to influence the party's presidential and general election primaries. Article 42 of the Political Parties Act prohibits forcing people to join or leave a political party.
The team argues that Shincheonji, under names such as the "Pilates Project" in each tribe, induced believers to join the People Power Party. As a result, it believes more than 50,000 believers signed up as People Power Party members.
The arrest warrants also include charges of interfering with business. The team concluded that Shincheonji's organized party enrollment disrupted the People Power Party's election operations.
Since January, the team has conducted searches and seizures of Shincheonji's general assembly headquarters and the People Power Party headquarters, securing rosters of Shincheonji believers and People Power Party members.
Since last month, the team has summoned Godong-an three times for questioning as a suspect. Godong-an largely denied the allegations during questioning, according to reports.
The team is currently investigating allegations that since 2017 Godong-an managed the denomination's finances, collected more than 11.3 billion won from believers, and siphoned off part of the funds. However, that allegation was not included in the current arrest warrants, according to reports.
If arrest warrants for Godong-an and others are issued, the team is expected to move to take Shincheonji leader Lee Man-hee into custody as well.
While questioning former Shincheonji executives, the team obtained testimony that orders to join the party flowed from Leader Lee to the general affairs director, then to each tribe leader, church pastors, and through the seniors' association, women's association, and youth association. They also obtained testimony that collective action was impossible without Lee's instructions.
On the 4th, the team also questioned Leader Lee as a suspect over alleged violations of the Political Parties Act.