Prosecutors reject second arrest warrant request for entertainment CEO Cha Ga-won, demand further investigation

Prosecutors have once again rejected an arrest warrant request for Cha Ga-won, the CEO of entertainment label One Hundred Label, citing the need for further investigation. This marks the second time the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office has returned a warrant application submitted by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's financial crime investigation unit.

The police initially sought Cha's arrest earlier this month on charges related to fraud under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes. The initial request was also rejected. Prosecutors reportedly requested supplementary investigations to bolster the case against Cha.

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We believe this is a rejection of an illegal investigation that presupposes the arrest of the suspect, infringing upon the basic rights of the accused, when the alleged accusations themselves do not constitute a crime in the first place.

Cha's legal representative, Hyun Dong-yeop of Hwageum Law Firm, expressed strong criticism of the police's actions. "We believe this is a rejection of an illegal investigation that presupposes the arrest of the suspect, infringing upon the basic rights of the accused, when the alleged accusations themselves do not constitute a crime in the first place," Hyun stated. He added, "We express concern over the financial crime unit's repeated warrant requests and believe that human rights-friendly investigative direction is needed at the unit chief level."

Previously, Cha's side filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission against two investigators from the financial crime unit, alleging human rights violations during the investigation. Cha is accused of soliciting business partnerships by leveraging the intellectual property of artists under his label, collecting advance payments, and then failing to proceed with the business. The total amount claimed by fraud victims is reportedly around 30 billion won ($22 million).

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We express concern over the financial crime unit's repeated warrant requests and believe that human rights-friendly investigative direction is needed at the unit chief level.