Prosecutors sought a heavy sentence for a former police officer who deceived a construction company chair into believing the officer could block a prosecution investigation, then took cash and luxury foreign cars worth about 1 billion won. The former officer fled before a detention warrant hearing and was later caught at a golf course.
At the sentencing hearing on the 15th before the 14th criminal division of the Suwon District Court, presided over by Director General Judge Yoon Seong-yeol, prosecutors asked the court to sentence former police officer A to 15 years in prison on charges including fraud under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Economic Crimes. Prosecutors also said they would seek confiscation of the Mercedes-Benz vehicle A received from the victim.
A's side admitted all charges and pleaded for leniency. In the final argument, the attorney said, "We are ashamed that the accomplices kept shifting blame to one another," and added, "As responsibility was being passed around, we neglected to compensate the victim, but if given a chance, we will do everything to restore the damage."
In a final statement, A said, "Because I am a person with nothing to show, I had a habit of puffing myself up and deluded myself into thinking I was someone important," and added, "I deeply apologize to the victim and will do my best to be forgiven."
A was indicted along with accomplice B, a former Vice Administrator of the Korean National Police Agency, on charges of stealing 1 billion won in cash and a foreign car worth 265 million won from construction company chair C. They was found to have pretended to be close to powerful figures, including incumbent prosecutors, judges, and politicians, in connection with an embezzlement complaint case involving C.
A was found to have told C, "I will exert pressure to reach a settlement," deceiving C into believing the investigation could be quashed.
There was also a getaway during the investigation. On Jan. 14, when a detention warrant was sought, A did not appear for the pretrial detention hearing and went into hiding. A then alternated among mobile phones under other people's names and frequently swapped SIM cards to evade investigative tracking.
The fugitive life ended after a little over two months. In Mar., A was arrested and indicted in custody while playing golf with a spouse at a golf course in Eumseong, North Chungcheong.
The same sentence was sought for accomplice B. At B's sentencing hearing on the 8th, prosecutors asked the court to impose 15 years in prison.