SCIA Refers Case Against Park Sunwon Over 'Whistleblower Identity Disclosure' to Police
"Violations of the Act on the Protection of Public Interest Whistleblowers fall outside the SCIA's investigative scope"
The Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (SCIA) referred to the police, rather than investigating directly, a case in which a public-interest whistleblower sued Rep. Park Sunwon of the Democratic Party of Korea over allegations of lobbying for approval of a COVID-19 clinical trial involving Rep. Kim Seungwon of the party. The agency reportedly determined that the case was outside its investigative authority.
According to legal sources on October 30, the Seoul District Serious Crimes Investigation Agency transferred the case to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on October 23. The case had been assigned to the Seoul agency's Anti-Corruption Investigation Division.
The Seoul agency reportedly determined that the alleged violation of the Act on the Protection of Public Interest Whistleblowers, which was cited in the complaint, did not fall among the offenses subject to investigation under the SCIA Act.
Earlier, at a Democratic Party of Korea Supreme Council meeting on September 11, Rep. Park mentioned the identity of a public-interest whistleblower identified as Mr. Cho and claimed that he had exposed the allegations to extort money.
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On October 7, Mr. Cho, the complainant, filed charges against 13 people, including Rep. Park and YouTubers, for alleged violations of the Act on the Protection of Public Interest Whistleblowers and other offenses. He alleges that Rep. Park revealed his identity as a whistleblower and that the information subsequently spread through the media and YouTube.
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