No Woo-rae, a former member of the Democratic Party, has been acquitted again in a political bribery case involving millions of won in illegal campaign funds.
The Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Appeals Division 5-2, led by judges Kim Yong-jung, Kim Ji-sun, and So Byeong-jin, upheld the initial ruling of not guilty on August 21. The court determined that evidence collected by prosecutors during a search of the mobile phone of Jo, the spouse of businessman Park, was illegally obtained and therefore inadmissible.
The case began when prosecutors investigated Lee Jeong-geun, a former deputy secretary-general of the Democratic Party, for alleged bribery. During this investigation, prosecutors seized Jo's mobile phone and uncovered leads related to No's alleged offenses, prompting an expanded inquiry.
However, the first trial court ruled that the method of obtaining this evidence violated legal procedures and the principle of warrant-based searches, leading to its exclusion. The appeals court reaffirmed this judgment as valid.
Nonetheless, the appeals court noted that the first trial court made a legal error in excluding some electronic information from Park's mobile phone. The court indicated that this information could be admissible as evidence, but ultimately concluded that even with this evidence, the prosecution's overall case was insufficient to establish guilt.
The court also issued the same ruling for businessman Park, who was charged alongside No. He was found not guilty of bribery for allegedly providing money to No.
In contrast, Lee Jeong-geun was found guilty of providing 330 million won in funds for election expenses and was sentenced to one year and five months in prison. Park, who had been out on bail, did not attend the sentencing and had his bail revoked.
No was indicted in March 2023 for allegedly receiving a total of 60 million won from Park in five instances between February and December 2020, in exchange for facilitating permits for a logistics center, supplying to a power plant, and aiding a solar power project. Prosecutors argued that part of this money was used for campaign expenses during the National Assembly elections and the party's convention, seeking a four-year prison sentence, a fine of 200 million won, and a forfeiture of 50 million won in both trials.
Following the trial, No issued a statement condemning the prosecution's investigation and indictment process. He stated, "It took three years and nine months to correct the wrongful prosecution and investigation by the political prosecutors under Yoon Seok-yeol. We must put an end to the wrongful investigative practices of political prosecutors who tried to frame me as a criminal by using information from a mobile phone without a warrant."
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.