Ex-chief of Seoul education summoned
Published: 19 Mar. 2010, 20:52
Former Seoul Education Superintendent Kong Jung-tack yesterday appeared before the prosecution for allegedly accepting bribes while in office in return for using his power to help senior schoolteachers win promotions to senior posts in Seoul schools.
Kong flatly denied the allegations to journalists and said he’s not involved in the money-for-position scandal before submitting himself for questioning at the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office.
Prosecutors said they asked Kong whether he ordered his close aides to manipulate rating documents for certain senior teachers so that they could be promoted to headmaster, vice headmaster or school commissioner posts. Kong was also asked whether he was the ultimate beneficiary of a bribery chain that started with senior schoolteachers who handed money to Seoul school commissioners.
“The focus of the investigation is to find out whether Kong systematically committed personnel promotion irregularities through his aides at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education,” a prosecutor said.
Prosecutors will soon decide whether to seek warrants to detain Kong based on his testimony and other evidence.
Kong fell under suspicion of being at the center of the large bribe and promotion scandal in Seoul city’s education sector after prosecutors in January detained a school commissioner surnamed Im for taking millions of won in bribes from teachers who asked Im to help them pass the exam to become school commissioners.
Prosecutors later detained two other school commissioners surnamed Jang and Kim for allegedly taking a payment of 20 million won ($17,600) from Im. Prosecutors said Jang, a school commissioner, asked Im to bribe the teachers, and Jang in turn got that order from Kim. Kim is the education policy bureau head at the Seoul education office and Jang’s immediate superior.
According to prosecutors, Kim said the money trail led back to Kong, then Seoul’s education chief.
Im, who had his trial last Thursday, said he took bribes because he wanted to raise legal expenses for Kong, who was facing trial for violating election fund law.
Kong lost his education chief post in October last year after he was convicted for violating a law governing campaign funds during his July 2008 election. Kong failed to disclose a bank account containing 430 million won that was kept under the name of his campaign manager. The money actually belonged to Kong’s wife.
By Jeong Seon-eon, Kim Mi-ju [[email protected]]
Kong flatly denied the allegations to journalists and said he’s not involved in the money-for-position scandal before submitting himself for questioning at the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office.
Prosecutors said they asked Kong whether he ordered his close aides to manipulate rating documents for certain senior teachers so that they could be promoted to headmaster, vice headmaster or school commissioner posts. Kong was also asked whether he was the ultimate beneficiary of a bribery chain that started with senior schoolteachers who handed money to Seoul school commissioners.
“The focus of the investigation is to find out whether Kong systematically committed personnel promotion irregularities through his aides at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education,” a prosecutor said.
Prosecutors will soon decide whether to seek warrants to detain Kong based on his testimony and other evidence.
Kong fell under suspicion of being at the center of the large bribe and promotion scandal in Seoul city’s education sector after prosecutors in January detained a school commissioner surnamed Im for taking millions of won in bribes from teachers who asked Im to help them pass the exam to become school commissioners.
Prosecutors later detained two other school commissioners surnamed Jang and Kim for allegedly taking a payment of 20 million won ($17,600) from Im. Prosecutors said Jang, a school commissioner, asked Im to bribe the teachers, and Jang in turn got that order from Kim. Kim is the education policy bureau head at the Seoul education office and Jang’s immediate superior.
According to prosecutors, Kim said the money trail led back to Kong, then Seoul’s education chief.
Im, who had his trial last Thursday, said he took bribes because he wanted to raise legal expenses for Kong, who was facing trial for violating election fund law.
Kong lost his education chief post in October last year after he was convicted for violating a law governing campaign funds during his July 2008 election. Kong failed to disclose a bank account containing 430 million won that was kept under the name of his campaign manager. The money actually belonged to Kong’s wife.
By Jeong Seon-eon, Kim Mi-ju [[email protected]]
Related Korean Article
검찰서 소환 … 장학사 시험, 교장 승진 과정 측근 통한 구조적 뇌물 추궁
서울시교육청 인사 비리에 연루돼 뇌물을 받은 혐의를 받고 있는 공정택(76·사진) 전 서울시 교육감이 19일 서울서부지검에 출석해 조사를 받았다.
검찰은 공 전 교육감이 2008~2009년 ▶서울시 교육청 인사 담당자들로부터 인사 청탁과 관련한 뇌물을 상납받았는지 ▶장학관·교장 승진과 관련, 근무평정 조작을 지시했는지 등을 조사했다. 검찰 관계자는 “공 전 교육감이 교육청의 측근들을 통해 구조적으로 인사 비리를 저질렀는지를 밝히는 게 수사의 초점”이라고 말했다. 검찰은 지난 1월 장학사 시험에 응시한 교사들로부터 수천만원을 받은 혐의로 중등인사 담당 장학사 임모(50)씨를 구속했다. 그후 임씨로부터 2000만원을 상납받은 혐의로 장학관 장모(59)씨와 전 교육정책국장 김모(60)씨를 차례로 구속했다. 김씨는 검찰 조사에서 “공 전 교육감에게 돈을 전달했다”고 진술한 것으로 알려졌다. 임씨 역시 재판 과정에서 “공 전 교육감이 선거 관련 재판을 받고 있어 많은 비용이 들어갈 것이라고 생각해 돈을 받았다”고 말했다.
검찰은 감사원이 적발한 부정승진 의혹에 대해서도 조사 중이다. 감사원은 2008~2009년 인사담당 장학관 장씨가 근무평정 점수를 조작해 26명을 부당하게 승진시킨 의혹을 적발해 검찰에 수사 의뢰했다. 검찰은 장씨가 감사원 조사에서 “공 전 교육감이 부정 승진을 지시했다”고 진술한 것을 토대로 공 전 교육감의 인사 비리 개입 여부를 조사했다.
한글 기사 보기
검찰서 소환 … 장학사 시험, 교장 승진 과정 측근 통한 구조적 뇌물 추궁
서울시교육청 인사 비리에 연루돼 뇌물을 받은 혐의를 받고 있는 공정택(76·사진) 전 서울시 교육감이 19일 서울서부지검에 출석해 조사를 받았다.
검찰은 공 전 교육감이 2008~2009년 ▶서울시 교육청 인사 담당자들로부터 인사 청탁과 관련한 뇌물을 상납받았는지 ▶장학관·교장 승진과 관련, 근무평정 조작을 지시했는지 등을 조사했다. 검찰 관계자는 “공 전 교육감이 교육청의 측근들을 통해 구조적으로 인사 비리를 저질렀는지를 밝히는 게 수사의 초점”이라고 말했다. 검찰은 지난 1월 장학사 시험에 응시한 교사들로부터 수천만원을 받은 혐의로 중등인사 담당 장학사 임모(50)씨를 구속했다. 그후 임씨로부터 2000만원을 상납받은 혐의로 장학관 장모(59)씨와 전 교육정책국장 김모(60)씨를 차례로 구속했다. 김씨는 검찰 조사에서 “공 전 교육감에게 돈을 전달했다”고 진술한 것으로 알려졌다. 임씨 역시 재판 과정에서 “공 전 교육감이 선거 관련 재판을 받고 있어 많은 비용이 들어갈 것이라고 생각해 돈을 받았다”고 말했다.
검찰은 감사원이 적발한 부정승진 의혹에 대해서도 조사 중이다. 감사원은 2008~2009년 인사담당 장학관 장씨가 근무평정 점수를 조작해 26명을 부당하게 승진시킨 의혹을 적발해 검찰에 수사 의뢰했다. 검찰은 장씨가 감사원 조사에서 “공 전 교육감이 부정 승진을 지시했다”고 진술한 것을 토대로 공 전 교육감의 인사 비리 개입 여부를 조사했다.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.
Standards Board Policy (0/250자)