Police may summon prosecutors over photo leak

Police may summon incumbent prosecutors on suspicions that they leaked a photo of a woman who allegedly had sex with one of their fellow prosecutors in a high-profile sex scandal, sources at Seoul police said Friday.

Seocho Police Station is currently analyzing files handed over by the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office’s internal inspection team.

“The inspection team has reported to the police four officials who created the image file and their two accomplices,” said a lead prosecutor of the prosecution‘s inspection team. Of the six, two are incumbent prosecutors, he said.

One prosecutor allegedly made a computer file with a photo of the woman from the investigation database, and another prosecutor is suspected of ordering its creation.

“It is not confirmed that all their activities are illegal,” he said.

The inspection team has investigated the total of 24 prosecutors and prosecution officials who have checked the photo of the woman.

The police said they would decide whom to summon among the six people after further investigation.

If the prosecutors are called in, it will be the first case in which incumbent prosecutors have been questioned by the police.

Any evidence that the photo has been intentionally leaked outside the prosecution has not been found, according to the police.

A trainee prosecutor had sexual relations with his female suspect in November allegedly in return for favor in a case in which the woman stole goods worth 4.5 million won ($4,200) at a mart.

The photo of the 42-year-old woman spread through the Internet, and she asked police to investigate those who had leaked and circulated the photo.

By Kim Young-won (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)

<관련 한글 기사>

'성추문 검사' 사진 유출 사건, 실마리 풀릴까?

검찰로부터 '성추문 검사' 피해여성 사진 유출과 관련된 검찰 관계자 명단과 자료를 넘겨받은 경찰이 14일 검찰에 추가 자료를 요청하기로 했다.

경찰은 대검 감찰본부가 전날 여성 피의자 사진을 캡처해 만든 파일이 검찰 조직 내부에서만 유포되고 외부로 유출된 흔적을 발견하지 못했다고 통보했으나 이를 뒷받침할 근거자료가 충분치 않은 것으로 보고 있다.

서울 서초경찰서 관계자는 "검찰로부터 감찰조사 결과와 분석보고서 등을 받았으나 분량이 얼마 되지 않는다"며 "어떻게 해서 이런(외부 유출이 없었다는) 결과가 나왔는지 입증할 근거가 부족해 추가 자료를 요청할 계획"이라고 밝혔다.

경찰은 검찰에 관련 자료를 다시 요청해 추가 수사를 한 뒤 관련자 소환 여부와 향후 일정을 정할 방침이다.

감찰본부는 전날 여성 피의자의 사진 파일을 만드는 데 관여한 검사 2명 등 총 6명의 명단을 경찰에 통보했다. 경찰에 통보된 6명 중 4명은 컴퓨터 화면을 캡처해 사진파일을 만들었고, 2명은 이를 지시하거나 같이 사진을 본 의혹을 받고 있다.