[ad_1]
Cho Kook, former Minister of Justice and Professor at Dongyang University Kyung-Shim Chung, will appear in the same court for the first time on the 3rd.
Part 25-2 of the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Settlement (Presiding Judge Lim Jeong-yeop) calls Minister Cho as a witness to the alleged cases, including violations of the law on capital markets and the business of Professor Jeong’s financial investments.
Former Minister Cho had briefly announced his position in front of reporters and went to court every time he attended his trial under the Criminal Settlement Department (Judge Kim Mi-ri). However, at Professor Jeong’s trial that day, he requested the “witness request procedure”. It is said that he enters a separate passage in private without contact with reporters. It is interpreted that he was aware of Professor Jeong, who said that “(in connection with the trial) he must be respectful” in relation to the SNS activities of former Minister Cho.
The prosecution will ask former Minister Cho if there have been previous discussions about the corruption of Professor Chung’s children’s entrance exam, the allegations related to private equity funds, and the alleged destruction of evidence.
Previously, Professor Chung’s side objected to calling former Minister Cho as a witness. It is improper to take as a witness as it is between Professor Jeong and a married couple and you have the right to refuse to testify as an accessory.
However, the court adopted Cho as a witness, saying that he could not refuse to be subpoenaed because he had the right to refuse to testify.
The judges also noted that “former Minister Cho did not disclose the facts of the prosecution at all in the prosecution investigation because he wanted to speak in court.”
However, the court decided to strictly limit the content of the prosecution’s question to the part related to the accusation of Professor Chung. The so-called “Gangnam Building” text message from Prof. Chung, etc., could not ask questions about what Professor Chung’s side would object to as a personal attack.
Former Minister Cho can exercise his right to refuse to testify in defense, but there are observations that he can actively speak out to highlight the circumstances in his favor.
