A complaint filed against the Prosecution-Police Joint Investigation Headquarters (JIH), which decided not to indict Jeon Jae-soo, the Democratic Party's candidate for Busan mayor in the June 3 local elections, over allegations of receiving money and goods from the Unification Church, has been transferred to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.
According to police on Thursday, the Anti-Corruption Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Metropolitan Investigation Division received the complaint from Seoul's Dongdaemun Police Station on the 28th of last month. The complaint targets JIH chief Kim Tae-hoon and officials responsible for the decision on Jeon, citing charges of distortion of law and special dereliction of duty. In a notice of investigation results sent to the complainant, Dongdaemun Police Station said it had "transferred the case to the Metropolitan Investigation Division, which is conducting an investigation into the same matter."
Jeon had previously been investigated by the JIH on suspicion of receiving expensive watches and other items from the Unification Church in 2018. However, the JIH decided not to indict Jeon, citing the expiration of the statute of limitations and insufficient evidence.
In response, Lee Jong-bae, a former Seoul Metropolitan Council member, filed a complaint on the 12th of last month through the government's public petition system, e-People, accusing JIH chief Kim Tae-hoon and officials responsible for the decision of distortion of law and special dereliction of duty. Lee argued that "the JIH failed to properly apply relevant laws in order to give undue benefit to candidate Jeon."
