Seo-Gwangju Agricultural Cooperative President Released on Bail in Appeal Hearing

President A of Seo-Gwangju Agricultural Cooperative, who was sentenced to prison and detained during his trial in the first instance, has had his bail granted in the appellate trial, allowing him to continue his trial while released from custody. He will now be able to observe the trial process without being detained.

President A was indicted on charges of receiving money and valuables in exchange for executive and employee positions. He was sentenced to five years in prison and detained during trial in the first instance. He is accused of receiving 60 million won between 2013 and December 2020 in exchange for influencing the selection of executive directors and hiring of employees. The first-instance court ruled that Mr. A received 60 million won in bribes and instructed interview committee members to pass a specific applicant by providing them with a memo containing the applicant's interview number.

The First Criminal Division of the Gwangju High Court on April 16 granted bail requested by President A, imposing conditions such as posting a 20 million won bail bond and obtaining prior permission for any change of residence. The court granted conditional bail, stating that further deliberation was necessary on new issues, including claims of illegally obtained evidence, as the detention period was nearing its end. Mr. A's side argued that he was suffering from mental and physical distress due to the prolonged investigation and trial and that bail was necessary as there was no risk of evidence tampering or flight. They also claimed that the detention was causing disruptions to the cooperative's operations, delaying decision-making and major projects. Prosecutors countered that Mr. A committed crimes by accepting money and trading personnel authority while serving as president, pointing out that the first-instance prison sentence reflected the severity of the offense.

The appellate sentencing, scheduled for that day, was postponed to May 14 due to a decision to reopen the arguments.