FALSIFIED REPORT OF POLICE ORDER TIME

[Anchor Lead]

A series of questions are being raised regarding police's initial responses on that day. The Yongsan police station is at the center of the swelling suspicion. There is circumstantial evidence that the Yongsan police chief arrived at the site late and falsified the time he claimed to have ordered the deployment of officers. It has been also found that he even deleted materials that are subject to investigation.

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A report drawn up by the Yongsan Police Station on the following day of the Itaewon disaster. The report says its chief ordered the mobilization of all available police forces at 10:18 p.m. during the crush. However, police officers who were at the site tell a different story. Multiple officers of the Yongsan police station say they received the first emergency call past midnight. If the report is true, there must have been follow-up movements to dispatch police forces to the site. But this point remains unclear and doubtful. There is a record showing that police officers were sent to the site at 10:37 p.m. But the dispatch was carried out at the request of the Itaewon substation, not the Yongsan police chief's order. This is why there are suspicions that the Yongsan station's report may have been fabricated. Another previous report submitted to the National Assembly has been found to be false. The report says the Yongsan police chief arrived at the site at 10:20 p.m. But it was 45 minutes earlier than his actual arrival.

[Soundbite] Chung Woo-taik(People Power Party) : "Isn't it a lie to say that the chief arrived at the site at 10:20 p.m.?"

[Soundbite] Yoon Hee-keun(NPA Commissioner General) : "An investigation is underway into the questionable issues."

In addition to fabrications, some reports were even deleted. Three days before the tragedy, an intelligence officer drew up a report warning of a crowd surge and crush. However, it has been confirmed that the report was deleted from the police computer following the disaster. According to an official with the special investigation headquarters on the Itaewon incident, the officer appeared to be persuaded by his seniors to make it appear that the report had not been written in the first place.

[Soundbite] Yoon Hee-keun(NPA Commissioner General) : "I was told that the report deletion had been ordered by the head of the intelligence team."

The special investigative team is also looking into allegations that the Yongsan station falsified and deleted the reports in order to dodge blame for its flawed initial responses.