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The first trial court acquitted former lawmaker Kwak Sang-do, who had been on trial for receiving 5 billion won in bribes from the Daejang-dong gang in the name of his son’s severance pay.
Although the amount of severance pay was unusual and he admitted that it was related to the Daejangdong business, he judged that such a strangely large amount of severance pay was not a bribe for his father.
Reporter Jung Sang-bin covered the story.
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Last April 2020, ′′ Transcript of Jeong Young-hak ′′
Kim Man-bae, a major shareholder of Hwacheon Daeyu, says, “Byeongchae’s father asks for money, through Byeongchae.”
Byeong-chae’s father was Kwak Sang-do, a member of the People’s Power at the time.
A year later, Kim Man-bae paid 5 billion won in severance pay to Kwak Byung-chae, who quit Hwacheon Daeyu.
After a year-long fierce court battle, the court acquitted former Congressman Kwak as to whether this 5 billion won was a bribe to his father.
The court also admitted that it was suspicious.
″It is an unusually large amount of money in view of age, experience, and work in charge″, and ″The relationship with former Congressman Kwak, who was a special advisor to the power of the people’s real estate speculation, is also recognized.″ ″It is suspected that the son took bribes instead of his father. judged high.
However, in the end, it was unclear whether it was a bribe for former Congressman Kwak.
“The son got married and made a living separately, and did not spend or pass on money to his father.”
Although the phone call between father and son soared, it was also determined that it might be because of the illness of the wife of former Congressman Kwak, not because of the severance pay.
[김남근 변호사/민변 개혁입법특별위원장]
″If it is a bribe of 5 billion, it should be sentenced to a severe sentence to the extent that it is almost life imprisonment, but it seems that it is difficult to see it as such because the constitutional requirements have been clearly proven.″
It was also seen that it was not proven that former Congressman Kwak put pressure on Hana Bank for the Daejang-dong project.
Then, why the heck did he give the 5 billion won severance pay?
[곽상도/전 국민의힘 의원]
″I can’t judge. It’s not me, and the person involved is the company and our son, so I can’t say anything regarding that part.”
Ahead of the 20th general election, lawyer Nam Wook acknowledged that the 50 million won was an illegal political fund and sentenced Kwak to a fine of 8 million won.
Prosecutors decided to immediately appeal once morest the acquittal of 5 billion severance pay and former lawmaker Kwak once morest the conviction of political funds.
This is MBC News Jeong Sang-bin.
Video coverage: Kim Doo-young / Video editing: Yang Hong-seok
