Prosecutor suspended for investing with money borrowed from suspect

A prosecutor was suspended for four months after investing in stocks with money borrowed from a suspect under investigation.

The Justice Ministry said on Tuesday it suspended the prosecutor surnamed Jung for breach of duty and demeaning the prosecutors’ office.

Jung borrowed money from a suspect under investigation at another prosecutors’ office last year, and used it to invest in stocks under someone else’s name.

While serving as the head of a prosecutorial branch, Jung made insulting and inappropriate remarks to a prosecutor investigating the suspect and ordered him to reconsider requesting an arrest warrant.

Jung was also found to have visited gambling parlors four times during trips to Japan between 2016 and last year.

The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office had asked the Justice Ministry to remove Jung from office.

The ministry, however, took the relatively mild disciplinary action, saying he paid back all the money, and it hasn’t been confirmed whether he leaked information on the investigation to the suspect.

By Kim So-hyun (sophie@heraldcorp.com)