Prosecutors demand 9-year prison term for ex-DP leader Song over cash-for-votes scandal

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Prosecutors demand 9-year prison term for ex-DP leader Song over cash-for-votes scandal

Published: 06 Nov. 2024, 17:18

Song Young-gil, a former leader of the liberal Democratic Party, arrives at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Wednesday, ahead of a final hearing on a cash-for-votes scandal surrounding the party's 2021 leadership election. [YONHAP]

Prosecutors on Wednesday demanded a 9-year prison term for Song Young-gil, a former leader of the liberal Democratic Party (DP), over a cash-for-votes scandal surrounding the party's 2021 leadership election.

Song was indicted in January for his alleged involvement in his campaign's distribution of cash envelopes totaling 66 million won ($47,000) to 20 sitting DP lawmakers and other party members in the run-up to the party's leadership election in May 2021, which he ultimately won.

Song is also accused of taking 763 million won in illegal political funds from seven people under the pretext of donations for his support group, the Research Institute for Peace & Livelihood, from 2020 to 2021.

"I had no knowledge of the incident and I was not involved in the case legally, so I have been consistently pleading not guilty," Song told reporters before entering the Seoul Central District Court for the final hearing.

He also claimed the prosecution had "illegally collected" over 30,000 recordings from a former campaign aide while investigating a separate case and wrongly used them as evidence against him.

Song was initially indicted with physical detention but was released from custody after a court granted him bail in late May.

Song has squarely denied all the allegations against him, accusing prosecutors of "a politically orchestrated investigation" targeting him.

However, all former and incumbent DP lawmakers involved in the scandal have been given prison terms so far.

Last month, the Supreme Court finalized a two-year prison term for Yoon Kwan-suk, one of the former lawmakers embroiled in the scandal, for receiving the cash envelopes from a former aide to Song for distribution.

Yonhap