First court appearance after issuing ‘statement of intent’
“At least 400 million in funds for re-election in 2014”
“Ahead of the 2018 Gyeonggi governor election,
Kim Man-bae gave Jeong Jin-sang money for the election.
Attorney Nam Wook (pictured), who is being tried for preferential treatment over the Daejang-dong development project, said in the first trial he attended after his release that “the stake in Cheonhwa Dongin No. In 2014, it was also claimed that at least 400 million won was handed over for the cost of re-electing Seongnam Lee mayor.
Attorney Nam appeared as a witness in the trial held on the 21st at the hearing of the 22nd part of the Criminal Settlement of the Seoul Central District Court (Judge Lee Jun-cheol). Counsel Nam, who was released at 0000 the same day, said as the prosecution’s questioning began: “There are parties that could not be stated truthfully at the time of the investigation. I will tell the truth in court”.
Attorney Nam said, “I heard from Mr. Kim Man-bae (a major shareholder of Hwacheon Daeyu) that the stake in Cheonhwa Dongin No. When the prosecution asked, ‘Is there a reason why you don’t have told the truth (at the time of the investigation)?” he said.
Regarding the 352 million won he handed over to Yoo Dong-gyu, former head of the Planning Division of Seongnam Urban Development Corporation in 2013, attorney Nam said, “(Director Yu) didn’t say that at the beginning, but he said it was not money he would spend, but that he should give it to high-ranking people,” he said. Regarding “high-ranking people,” he said, “I know them as Jeong Jin-sang (head of the bureau Coordination Officer of the Democratic Party Representative Office) and Kim Yong (Deputy Director of the Democratic Research Institute).” When the prosecution asked, “Did former boss Yoo say it was Jeong Jin-sang and Kim Yong?”
Attorney Nam testified that he had handed over at least 400 million won in re-election funds for Seongnam Mayor Lee Jae-myung. It is the first time a private operator from Daejang-dong has testified in court on allegations of Lee’s campaign funds. Attorney Nam said, “During the 2014 (local) election, I handed over about 400-500 million won to Mayor Lee Jae-myung.” At least 400 million won,” he said. Mr. Lee is a sales agent who is known as a relative of former special prosecutor Park Young-soo, and has acted as an agent for the sale of apartments in the Wirye New Town development projects and Daejang-dong.
Attorney Nam also testified that Man-bae Kim paid campaign expenses to Chief Chung even before the 2018 local elections, when Lee was elected governor of Gyeonggi-do. When the prosecution presented a transcript of the phone call between Mr. Kim and accountant Young-Hak Jeong, and asked the meaning of Mr. Kim’s remark, “The money you guys don’t know about has gone away,” the attorney Nam said, “During the 2018 local elections, Mr. Kim told Chief Jeong, Gyeonggi-do governor election without the knowledge of former headquarters director Yoo. ‘I know the contents of the payment,’ he said .
