POLICE APOLOGIZE OVER LEE YONG-GU SCANDAL

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Police apologized for mishandling a case involving former Vice Justice Minister Lee Yong-gu who is accused of assaulting a taxi driver in an intoxicated state. But they made it clear that there had been no undue influence and intervention exercised to brush the case under the carpet.

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The police conducted a four-month-long internal investigation into accusations that police officers had initially mishandled an assault case involving former Vice Justice Minister Lee Yong-gu. Before announcing the results of the probe, they apologized for causing public concerns.

[Soundbite] Kang Il-gu(Seoul Police Agency) : "We deeply apologize for causing public concerns over the police's inappropriate action and mishandling of the case."

The police sent to the prosecution the case of a Seocho Police Station investigator that had originally looked into Lee's assault case. Facing charges of special dereliction of duty, the investigator is also accused of neglecting the taxi's black box footage showing the assault and failing to report it to superiors. The Seocho Police Station's then chief and two senior officials at the criminal affairs team will be inspected for breaching their duty to report. The cases for the criminal team officials will also be handed over to the police investigation review panel. According to the police, the investigator decided on his own to close the case without a sufficient investigation. But they declined to elaborate on why the investigator had made such a decision, saying that the case is still under investigation. But those involved explained that the Lee Yong-gu case had not been reported to officials above, since there are so many other similar cases involving hassle with taxi drivers. As for the accusation of preferential treatment, they denied knowing his status as there are many lawyers in Seocho-dong Citing its analysis of some 8,000 phone calls Lee made with Seocho Police Station officials, the police concluded no undue influence or intervention had been exercised to scale down the case and protect him.

[Soundbite] Kang Il-gu(Seoul Police Agency) : "No records show Lee had made phone calls with high-ranking police officials or the Seocho station's chief or investigators handling his case. All people involved said they had not received undue influence or requests."

The police sent to the prosecution the case of the former vice minister on charges of attempting to destroy evidence, as he was found to have asked the taxi driver to delete the black box footage. The taxi driver is facing charges of evidence destruction.