In the second day of the jury trial for Lee Hwa-young, former Deputy Governor of Gyeonggi Province, who is indicted on charges including perjury and violation of the Political Funds Act, prosecutors and defense attorneys engaged in a fierce debate over the credibility of witness testimony.

Former Deputy Governor Lee Hwa-young responding to questions [Yonhap News Archive Photo]

During the jury trial held on the 9th by the Criminal Division 11 of the Suwon District Court (Presiding Judge Song Byung-hoon), Bang Yong-cheol, former vice chairman of Ssangbangul, who appeared as a witness in connection with the alleged 'split donations' for candidate Lee Jae-myung during the previous presidential primary, testified that he had received instructions from former Deputy Governor Lee to divide the donations.

In his main questioning by the prosecution, Bang testified, "When I asked former Deputy Governor Lee about how to donate in 2018, he told me that it would be better not to donate all at once but to divide it, and that the company's name should not be revealed."

He further responded to the prosecution's question of whether he had submitted the list of donors to former Deputy Governor Lee for confirmation after completing the donation, by stating, "I testified as such because I have such a memory from that time."

Conversely, the defense for former Deputy Governor Lee counterattacked by raising the possibility that Bang Yong-cheol's testimony might have been tainted by pressure during the investigation, as there was no clear physical evidence.

When the defense attorney pressed on the lack of objective evidence, Bang Yong-cheol stated, "There is nothing left."

The defense attorney then pointed out that Bang Yong-cheol had been detained on more than 20 charges, including assisting former chairman Kim Sung-tae in evading overseas, and questioned the possibility of him giving false testimony to align with the prosecution's investigation to reduce his sentence.

During this process, heated exchanges and shouting between Bang Yong-cheol and the defense attorney led to a temporary suspension of the trial.

As the defense attorney listed his past criminal charges and pressured him, Bang Yong-cheol strongly protested, citing extreme stress due to panic disorder and depression. The court ultimately declared a 10-minute recess.

In the questioning that resumed after the recess, the defense attorney focused on undermining the credibility of the court records by highlighting the discrepancy between his previous testimony of 30 million won during the prosecution's investigation and the 10 million won stated in court.

In response, the prosecution emphasized through re-examination that while Bang Yong-cheol showed some confusion regarding specific amounts or past court records, he consistently admitted to the core fact that he had been informed of the 'indirect donation' method by former Deputy Governor Lee.

When questioned by the prosecution, Bang Yong-cheol reiterated his acknowledgment, stating, "I did not specify that it was 1 million won each, but it is true that he told me to divide it because it should not be in the company's name."

However, regarding the past court record where he specifically stated, 'Send it in 1 million won increments,' Bang Yong-cheol confessed the difficulties of the investigation process, saying, "I was subjected to daily investigations at the time and was not in a situation where I could endure it; the psychological pressure was so immense that the prosecutors seemed like devils."

Former Ssangbangul Group Vice Chairman Bang Yong-cheol responding to questions [Yonhap News]

Immediately after the witness examination concluded, former Deputy Governor Lee, who took the stand as the defendant, was given an opportunity to speak before the main questioning and criticized Bang Yong-cheol's testimony.

Former Deputy Governor Lee stated sharply, "Many people, including myself, are being prosecuted and suffering because of Bang Yong-cheol's testimony. My suffering, while currently incarcerated, is far greater."

Earlier that morning, Yang Seon-gil, the current chairman of Ssangbangul Group, was also questioned as a witness.

Chairman Yang stated, "It is true that I donated 10 million won under the direction of former chairman Kim Sung-tae," but he drew a line regarding specific conspiracy charges, saying, "I have never directly received instructions or requests for 'splitting' from former Deputy Governor Lee."

Despite the late-night marathon session that lasted until nearly midnight the previous day, all 12 jurors and alternate jurors participated in the trial without any absences, observing and taking notes of the arguments from both sides.

In the closing arguments by issue after all witness examinations were completed, the prosecution focused on proving guilt by relying on common sense logic, arguing that former chairman Kim had no reason to voluntarily make illegal donations.

The prosecution emphasized, "It is against common sense for a corporate chairman with no prior acquaintance to organize and donate a large sum of money using multiple names without any request or implicit agreement from the defendant, while facing punishment. While the detailed memories of witnesses may have faded over time, the core circumstances of instructing and conspiring for split donations are clear."

Conversely, the defense argued that criminal charges cannot be proven solely on the basis of inconsistent witness testimonies without clear physical evidence.

Citing Supreme Court precedents, the defense pleaded for acquittal, stating, "The possibility that former chairman Kim and others, who were detained on dozens of charges, made false or exaggerated statements to receive leniency from the investigative authorities cannot be ruled out."

Notably, towards the end of the trial, which extended past 10 p.m., emotions ran high between both sides, leading to shouting matches.

When the defense attorney criticized the prosecution's past summons investigations as "illegal separate investigations," the prosecution vehemently protested, stating, "This is contrary to the facts."

As pointing fingers and shouting ensued with accusations of "intimidation," the presiding judge eventually declared a 10-minute recess. Upon resuming the trial, the judge sternly warned, "Shouting in the courtroom is highly inappropriate. If it continues, I will consider expulsion or even detention."

With the conclusion of the day's proceedings, which ended around 10:30 p.m., the arguments from both sides regarding former Deputy Governor Lee's alleged 'split donation' (violation of the Political Funds Act) charges have all concluded.

From the 10th to the 12th, a three-day period will be dedicated to intensively examining the charges of abuse of power, including allegedly giving improper instructions to Gyeonggi Province officials regarding the provision of Kumseong to North Korea in 2019, instead of saplings for forest restoration.

'Wine Party Perjury Charges' Jury Trial for Lee Hwa-young to Begin on the 8th [Suwon=Yonhap News]