Suwon: Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung's lawyer on Tuesday denied all charges related to allegations that Lee misused public funds for personal purposes during his term as the governor of Gyeonggi province. The attorney's denial came during the third preparatory hearing of Lee's trial at the Suwon District Court, which the candidate did not attend.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee is accused of using 106.5 million won (US$77,800) from his corporate card and provincial government funds to pay for food and other goods while serving as governor from 2018 to 2021. "The defendant has not colluded in the crime, nor did he give orders (to do so)," Lee's lawyer said, claiming the indictment was "illegal" as the police had previously decided to not transfer the case to the prosecution.
Prosecutors have also indicted Lee's former chief of staff and a former public servant on the same charges. The court, which had initially planned to wrap up preparatory hearings Tuesday, said it will hold an additional hearing July 1 following a request from Lee's lawyer. Lee has denounced the indictment, saying the prosecution filed charges without evidence.