Lawyer Accused of Embezzling 300 Million Won Flees Pretrial Hearing, Captured by Prosecutors After Stakeout

Fled After Failing to Appear for Detention Hearing
Prosecutors Locate Hideout, Apprehend Suspect and Detain for Trial

A lawyer accused of embezzling 300 million won in escrow funds fled after failing to appear for a pretrial suspect interrogation, but was later apprehended by prosecutors and brought to trial.

Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang

The Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Acting Chief Prosecutor Park Hyangcheol) announced on July 9, "Lawyer A, who is accused of embezzling 300 million won in escrow funds, was indicted and detained on July 7."

Initially, A was referred to the prosecution without detention following a police investigation. After verifying the embezzlement charges by tracking checks, prosecutors requested an arrest warrant, taking into consideration that A had committed a similar offense while already on trial for a related crime.

However, A did not appear for the pre-arrest suspect interrogation and fled. In response, prosecutors launched a direct pursuit. Prosecutors and investigators compared and analyzed surveillance footage from control centers, credit card transaction records, and call logs, and conducted on-site inquiries to determine A's whereabouts and movements. After two nights of stakeout, they apprehended A.

During their own investigation, prosecutors also obtained A's confession regarding a separate offense currently under police investigation, and notified the relevant police department.

The prosecution stated, "With a responsible and meticulous approach, we will thoroughly investigate to uncover the truth of the case, and do our utmost to ensure that the victim can recover from the damage quickly and effectively."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.