A police chief investigating the murder of a high school student in Gwangju has been arrested for allegedly destroying evidence.
On July 8, Chief Judge Choi Yoon-young of the Gwangju District Court conducted a pre-arrest interrogation of Officer A from the Gwangju Gwangsan Police Station, who is accused of evidence destruction. The judge stated, "Considering the seriousness of the matter, the need for arrest due to evidence destruction and flight risk is recognized," and issued the arrest warrant.
Officer A is accused of destroying cable ties, which were used as a binding tool, during a search of the SUV that suspect Jang Yoon-ki used to commit the murder on May 5.
Surveillance footage from the scene reportedly shows Officer A conversing with team members and discovering a bundle of cable ties in the vehicle's passenger compartment but failing to secure them as evidence. It is also alleged that he instructed team members to leave the evidence in the car.
Following the arrest of Officer A, the National Investigation Headquarters' Special Investigation Team summoned Jang Yoon-ki's father, a current police officer, as a witness for questioning. The special team is reportedly focusing on whether Jang's father received updates on the investigation and the circumstances surrounding the disposal of key evidence, including a realistic doll.
Additionally, prosecutors are accelerating their investigation into allegations of leaking confidential information and evidence destruction related to the case.
On the same day, prosecutors summoned two police officers from the Gwangsan Police Station as witnesses. These officers were directly involved in the investigation of the Jang Yoon-ki case in May, and prosecutors are examining what transpired during the investigation.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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