Ex-Gyeonggi official found guilty of perjury over 'salmon party' testimony

A jury has found former Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor Lee Hwa-young guilty of perjury, specifically concerning his testimony about a "salmon and alcohol party." The verdict, reached by a narrow 4-3 majority, indicates a divided opinion among the jurors on this key aspect of the trial. This perjury charge stems from Lee's alleged false statements during legal proceedings.

However, the jury delivered a unanimous acquittal on charges related to violating the Political Funds Act. These charges were linked to allegations of illegal political donations made to Kim Sung-tae, the former chairman of Ssangbangul Group. The complete agreement among the seven jurors on this matter suggests a lack of sufficient evidence or a strong belief in Lee's innocence regarding these specific financial allegations.

The court, while acknowledging the jury's split decision on perjury, ultimately handed down a four-month prison sentence for that offense. The judge accepted the majority jury's view that Lee's statements were inconsistent and lacked credibility. In contrast, the court concurred with the jury's acquittal on the Political Funds Act charges, stating that the prosecution had not sufficiently proven Lee's complicity in Kim Sung-tae's alleged illegal fundraising activities.

Further complicating the legal outcome, the court dismissed charges of abuse of power and obstruction of justice. This decision was based on a legal interpretation of prosecutorial misconduct, specifically the "abuse of public power to prosecute." The court found that Lee had been effectively judged as a co-conspirator in another defendant's trial before his own formal indictment, thus infringing upon his right to a fair defense. This procedural issue led to the dismissal of these charges, despite potential jury disagreement on the merits of the allegations themselves.