Police extend Kim Byung-gi probe to Oct 31, summon ex-aide and party official

Police extended their investigation into independent lawmaker Kim Byung-gi until Oct 31, after the Seoul police investigation review committee approved the request at a regular meeting on Oct 6, Newsis reported. The committee had recommended on Aug 25 that the investigation team handle the case within one month, but police sought more time after prosecutors asked for a supplementary investigation. Chosun Ilbo also reported that the investigation period was extended by one month. [ 4 , 5 ]

On Oct 7 police summoned witnesses in the case. Kim Byung-gi's former aide, identified only by the surname Kim, was called back as a witness from 2 p.m., five days after a previous questioning, Newsis and Yonhap reported. Police said they also summoned A, a former office manager of the Democratic Party's Dongjak-gap district committee in 2020, to examine the authenticity of a confirmation letter and the circumstances in which it was written. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]

Yonhap reported that in questioning the former aide on Oct 2, police obtained a recording that points to possible destruction of evidence by Kim, along with statements from the aide about that possibility. The Oct 7 questioning was to reinforce allegations that Kim received bribes including his second son's salary from Jinwoo Electric, under the Act on Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, the report said. Police also reinforced facts related to a charge that Kim tolerated an alleged 100 million won nomination fee received by independent lawmaker Kang Sun-woo, it added. [ 2 , 3 ]

The case centres on allegations that ahead of the 2020 general election, then-Dongjak district council members gave Kim's wife a total of 30 million won and received it back. Yonhap reported that police secured statements from some council members saying they handed over money to Kim's wife in March 2020 and got it back at Kim's office. Newsis reported that the two former council members said they delivered 10 million won and 20 million won respectively and were repaid in June of that year, while Deputy Council Chairman Lee Ji-hee and Kim's spouse deny receiving the money at all, and that the accounts differ over where the money was returned. [ 2 , 3 ]

Police cited A's confirmation letter, which stated the district office had not yet moved to the location where the money was allegedly returned, as the basis of Kim's side's rebuttal, Newsis reported. It was later alleged that the content was untrue and that A wrote it on Kim's instruction, which raised concerns about evidence destruction, according to the report. Kim's former aide has filed complaints against him, including a December complaint alleging violation of the Communications Secrets Protection Act over the unauthorised acquisition and disclosure of Telegram messages, Yonhap reported. [ 2 , 3 ]

Police sought an arrest warrant for Kim on Sept 7, about a year into the investigation, but four days later the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office asked for a supplementary investigation, saying the grounds for detention were insufficient, Yonhap reported. Seoul police chief Ko Beom-seok said at a press briefing on Oct 6 that a decision on whether to seek a warrant again would be made after the supplementary investigation is completed. The review committee has required that if the investigation team requests another extension, a team official must attend the meeting in person to explain the investigation's status. [ 2 , 5 ]