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| ▲ These file photos show former presidential civil affairs secretary Lee Gwang-cheol (C), Cha Gyu-geun (R), former commissioner of the Korea Immigration Service, and prosecutor Lee Kyu-won. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ Lee Sung-yoon (C), former chief of the Seoul High Prosecutors Office, arrives at the Seoul Central District Court in the capital on Feb. 15, 2023, to attend his sentencing hearing related to the 2019 exit ban case. (Pool photo) (Yonhap) |
(LEAD) exit ban case-acquittal
(LEAD) Ex-presidential aide acquitted of charges related to 2019 exit ban case
(ATTN: UPDATES with acquittal of former chief of the Seoul High Prosecutors Office in last 3 paras; ADDS photo)
SEOUL, Feb. 15 (Yonhap) -- A former presidential secretary for civil affairs and a former chief of the Korea Immigration Service were acquitted Wednesday of charges of orchestrating an allegedly illegal exit ban on a former vice justice minister in 2019.
The Seoul Central District Court handed out the not guilty verdict to Lee Gwang-cheol, who served as a presidential civil affairs secretary during the preceding Moon Jae-in presidency, and Cha Gyu-geun, former commissioner of the Korea Immigration Service.
The two and prosecutor Lee Kyu-won were indicted in 2021 on abuse of power and other charges in connection with the exit ban imposed on former Vice Justice Minister Kim Hak-ui in March 2019. At that time, prosecutors sought to reinvestigate allegations that the former vice minister received sexual favors from a local businessman more than a decade ago.
Prosecutor Lee was also acquitted of abuse of power but was found guilty of the charge of falsifying documents related to the exit ban and given a deferred sentence of four months in prison.
The court said the three defendants were not guilty of abuse of power because the exit ban was imposed to prevent the escape of a person for whom a reinvestigation had become an established fact.
Kim took office as the vice justice minister in March 2013 under the previous Park Geun-hye administration but stepped down soon after allegations arose that he received sexual favors and bribes from businessmen in 2006. Last August, however, the Supreme Court finalized a not guilty verdict for him on bribery charges related to the 2006 scandal.
The same court also acquitted Lee Sung-yoon, former chief of the Seoul High Prosecutors Office, of abuse of power and other charges in connection with the 2019 exit ban case.
Lee Sung-yoon was indicted in mid-2021 over allegations that he exercised undue influence to block an investigation into officials involved in the exit ban, while serving as head of the Supreme Prosecutors Office's anti-corruption department.
The court said it is difficult to confirm a causal relationship between Lee Sung-yoon's acts and the obstruction of the investigation into the officials involved in the exit ban case.
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