Prosecutors refuted as untrue a claim by former Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor for Peace Lee Hwa-young's side—who was convicted in the first trial on perjury charges in the so-called "salmon drinking party" case—that prosecutors refused to submit investigation materials.
The Supreme Prosecutors' Office said in an explanatory release on the 22nd that "it is not true that a guilty verdict was handed down with key exculpatory evidence omitted, as claimed by the former vice governor's defense, and all necessary materials were submitted to the court through the special counsel for comprehensive investigations."
According to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, the first trial court in Lee's case twice requested the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office to send documents generated by the Human Rights Respect task force (TF), but the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office replied it could not comply because investigations into SSANGBANGWOOL affiliates were underway at the time and the case itself had been transferred to the special counsel for comprehensive investigations.
In the end, the court again requested document submission from the special counsel for comprehensive investigations, which had received the case, and the special counsel identified the necessary materials after its own review and replied to the court.
The Supreme Prosecutors' Office said in particular that it also provided the court with findings favorable to the former vice governor. It said the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office on Apr. 24 replied to the court with results showing a "truthful" response by the former vice governor, who had been a reference person in the inspection case involving Prosecutor Park Sang-yong.
Earlier, the 11th Criminal Division of the Suwon District Court (Chief Judge Song Byung-hoon) on the 20th sentenced the former vice governor to four months in prison in a citizen participation trial on charges including violating the National Assembly Testimony and Appraisal Act (perjury). Accepting the jury's majority opinion (guilty 4, not guilty 3), the court said it found the defendant guilty because "the defendant's statements were inconsistent and therefore not credible."
Attorney Kim Kwang-min, counsel for the former vice governor, said on his Facebook page the same day, "The Seoul High Prosecutors' Office determined that 'alcohol was indeed brought in.' Nevertheless, it did not submit the investigation materials to the court," adding, "It even refused after the court ordered submission of the investigation materials."