Justice Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn on Monday denied that a police officer who committed suicide after being suspected of leaking a sensitive presidential document was coerced during prosecution questioning.
The police officer, identified only by his surname Choi, was found dead Saturday after committing suicide. He had previously underwent questioning by prosecutors over the document alleging a former close aide to President Park Geun-hye meddled in state affairs.
Choi had been suspected of stealing some 100 different kinds of documents, including the document at the center of controversy, together with his colleague surnamed Han and handing the copies over to the media and other sources, according to prosecutors.
His death added a new twist to the prosecution investigation into the document, which was drawn up by Park Gwan-cheon, a police lieutenant who had worked for the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae until early February, and was leaked to the media late last month.
According to the document, Jeong Yun-hoe, who served as an adviser for President Park when she was a lawmaker, is alleged to have held regular meetings with several incumbent senior presidential officials to influence state affairs, including personnel matters. He has never held any official position in the current administration.
Choi left a suicide note hinting that the presidential office had pressured Han to provide false testimony. His family also raised the allegation that the prosecution pressured him during the questioning.
Choi hinted that Cheong Wa Dae had pressured Han to admit to the charges brought against him, according to the lengthy suicide note released to the media by Choi’s family.
“I was briefed that there was no coercion during the investigation and pressure (from Cheong Wa Dae),” the minister said in response to questions from opposition lawmakers during a parliamentary session Monday.
Following the reports, the presidential office denied the allegation, saying that the office has not contacted anybody.
Police said Choi was found dead in his car at around 2:30 p.m. on Saturday near his hometown in Icheon, a city in Gyeonggi Province some 80 kilometers south of Seoul.
Prosecutors earlier had filed for arrest warrants for Choi and Han, charging them with leaking the presidential document. But Seoul Central District Court dismissed the request on Friday, citing “not enough reason to put them in detention.”
Asked by an opposition lawmaker whether the contents of the document were true, Minister Hwang refused to comment, saying that the prosecution had filed for an arrest warrant against Choi on charges of leaking the confidential document. (Yonhap)
