[News Today] Loss of banknote straps under probe

[LEAD]
KBS exclusively reported how prosecutors seized bundles of freshly printed cash at the hideout of shaman Jeon Seong-bae, known as Geonjin, but then lost the straps and stickers that were key to tracing the money. Following the report, Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho called it a “very serious matter” and ordered a fact-finding probe and inspection. The Supreme Prosecutors' Office has since launched an immediate inquiry.

[REPORT]
Since the KBS report that prosecutors lost banknote straps from freshly printed cash bundles discovered at the home of shaman Geonjin, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office has now launched an inspection into the matter.

This comes after Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho called the case "very serious" and ordered all necessary measures, including inspections, to get to the bottom of it.

Last December, the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office found cash worth 165 million won, or around 118-thousand U.S. dollars, during a raid at the home of the shaman, whose real name is Jeon Seong-bae. Of that amount, 50 million won were cash bundles fresh out of the Bank of Korea.

These bundles have straps and stickers attached that can help trace the route of cash movement.

However while counting the cash for the seized materials to be formally accepted, an employee lost all of this lead.

As photos of the cash bundles were revealed to media four months later, only then did the investigation team confirm that the cash in question was tied with rubber bands instead of paper straps.

They belatedly visited the Bank of Korea to look into the matter but stopped the chase after being told the source of the money cannot be verified.

This damage done to the seized material was reported to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office at the time but a formal inspection did not take place.

The office says it was an employee's honest mistake but others suspect it may have been intentional.

Ryu Hyeok / Former Justice Ministry inspector
If a decision was made to gloss over the case without taking procedures, a review is necessary regarding whether that was appropriate.

With a lead lost, the prosecution did not even send over this cash bundle case to the special counsel team.