Arrest Warrant Denied

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A court has dismissed the arrest warrant for a former senior prosecutor who is accused of taking retaliatory measures against female prosecutor Seo Ji-hyeon for coming forward with sexual harassment allegations. The court said it rejected the request for an arrest warrant because there is room for dispute regarding his offense.

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The Seoul Central District Court has dismissed a request for an arrest warrant for former senior prosecutor Ahn Tae-keun, who allegedly abused power to disadvantage his junior colleague. The judge said that there is room for legal disputes in terms of verifying facts regarding Ahn's offense. The judge added that given the results of the investigation so far and Ahn's whereabouts, the court does not recognize the reason or necessity to arrest him. The investigators have found evidence that Ahn meddled in personnel decisions in retaliation to the sexual harassment scandal. Prosecutor General Moon Moo-il on April 9 requested an investigation committee to decide on whether to request an arrest warrant for Ahn and indict him. The committee concluded that Ahn should be investigated under arrest. Prosecutors requested an arrest warrant for him on April 16. The prosecutors will decide whether or not to request an arrest warrant again after reviewing the court's reason for dismissal. The possibility of Ahn being indicted without arrest cannot be ruled out, as the arrest warrant was requested after three months of investigation.