Lee Manhee applies for bail - News 1
The chairman of Shincheonji, Lee Man-hee, on charges of obstructing government prevention activities, applies for bail
News 1 Reporter Yoo Jae-kyu 2020-09-23
Lee's lawyers' submitted documents for release on bail on the 23rd.
Lee Man-hee, 89, chairman of Shincheonji Church of Jesus the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (Shincheonji), who was indicted on charges of obstructing the government's prevention activities for the new coronavirus (Corona 19), applied for bail.
According to the Suwon District Court on the 23rd, Lee, who was arrested and indicted on charges of violating the Act on the Prevention of Infectious Diseases, obstructing the execution of official duties, and destroying evidence, applied for bail on the 18th.
According to Article 94 of the Criminal Procedure Code, the defendant, the defendant's lawyer, the legal representative, spouse, immediate relatives, family members or employers can claim the defendant's bail in court.
Lee's lawyer was found to have applied for bail to the 11th Criminal Department (chief judge Kim Mi-kyung) in charge of Lee's hearing and submitted documents claiming the legitimacy of the bail on the 23rd.
Usually, a bail hearing is held within 20 days of the application.
An official of the Suwon District Court said, "With one session of Lee's trial preparation still remaining, in some cases the lawyer can express his opinion (on bail)," adding, "There are ordinary regulations, but it is uncertain whether the hearing on bail will be scheduled as an exception."
Lee, who is currently in custody at the Suwon Detention Center, had previously filed an "arrest appeal" with the court on April 13.
The court decided the request was not justified and rejected it saying, "Considering the justification of the crime, the progress of the investigation etc, the request appeares unjustified. It was confirmed that the issuance of the arrest warrant was appropriate and the necessity of the arrest was recognized."
Meanwhile, Lee denied all charges even if he apologized for causing health concerns to the public during the two preparatory sessions held on September 3 and 17.
Lee was indicted on charges of obstructing the preventive measures by omitting or falsely submitting the list of church members and facilities to prevention authorities in February, when the Corona 19 was spreading around the Shincheonji Church in Daegu.
He is also suspected of siphoning off 5.6 billion won for the construction of Gapyeong Peace Palace, a training center of Shincheonji, and illegally holding national meeting events in public facilities several times.
Lee's third pre-trial session is scheduled for September 28.
Disclaimer! I am neither a native Korean speaker nor a professional translator and all the English subtitles and translations are by no means official. They are just part of my personal research on SCJ that I want to share with you.
