Kim Man-bae acquitted in 2nd trial

[Anchor]

The trial result of Kim Man-bae, who was indicted on charges of bribery and solicitation during the Daejang-dong development process, has been overturned in the appeals court.

He received a prison sentence in the first trial, but was acquitted in the second trial.

Reporter Kim Bo-dam has the story.

[Report]

In 2013, the ordinance for the establishment of the Seongnam Urban Development Corporation was passed in the Seongnam City Council.

The prosecution suspected that then-Council Chairman Choi Yoon-gil received a solicitation from Kim Man-bae.

[Choi Yoon-gil/Former Seongnam City Council Chairman/Jan. 18, 2022: "(Was there a quid pro quo for the passage of the ordinance?) I'm sorry."]

Eight years later, former Chairman Choi was hired as the vice president of Hwacheon Daeyu, where Kim is the major shareholder, and received over 80 million won under the pretext of salary and other payments.

The prosecution viewed this amount as a bribe and brought former Chairman Choi to trial.

In the first trial, the charges were acknowledged, and former Chairman Choi was sentenced to 4 years and 6 months in prison, while Kim received a sentence of 2 years and 6 months.

The appeals court had a different judgment.

It deemed the testimonies of Nam Wook and Jeong Young-hak, which were the basis for the judgment on the solicitation for the passage of the ordinance in the first trial, as "retracted and not specific enough to be credible."

It also judged that the passage of the ordinance was "a politically permissible activity in general."

For these reasons, the court ruled that former Chairman Choi was not guilty, and therefore "the charges against Kim Man-bae for bribery and solicitation do not stand," also acquitting him.

[Kim Man-bae/Major Shareholder of Hwacheon Daeyu: "I thank the court for making a wise judgment based on the substantive truth of the case."]

The prosecution plans to decide soon whether to appeal.

This is KBS News, Kim Bo-dam.