South Korean Prosecutors: Civil Servant ‘Stole Public Funds to Buy Crypto’
South Korean prosecutors have indicted a civil servant for allegedly stealing public funds to buy crypto.
Yonhap reported that on August 13, the Cheongju District Prosecutors’ Office announced it had indicted and arrested an unnamed grade six civil servant.
Prosecutors think the civil servant stole 600 million won (around $438,000). They think the accused spent much of this money on crypto purchases.
South Korean Prosecutors: Suspect Forged Documents to Steal Funds
The accused works at Cheongju City Hall, the seat of the local government in Cheongju. The city is the capital and largest settlement in North Chungcheong Province.
North Chungcheong Province on a map of South Korea. (Source: NordNordWest [CC BY-SA 3.0 de])
The individual is aged in their forties, a prosecution spokesperson confirmed. Prosecutors charged them with embezzlement and the forgery of official documents.
Prosecutors said the individual was in charge of government affairs including student work placements and support projects for North Korean defectors settling in the city.
Officials say the civil servant forged “a variety of official documents over a period of approximately seven years starting in January 2017.”
Prosecutors claim the civil servant used these “forged” documents to embezzle funds. And they said the individual used this money to make personal “investments in cryptocurrencies.”
South Korea deploys sniffer dog to screen for bedbugs after Paris Games https://t.co/dEOyz4sGrS pic.twitter.com/4zKPcXK2mR— Reuters (@Reuters) August 12, 2024
Accused ‘Bought Crypto and Stocks With Stolen Funds’ – Prosecutors
Officials say the civil servant also used the money to trade on the stock market and “pay off personal debts.”
A prosecution spokesperson said bailiffs had “seized” and impounded property and assets “such as apartments and vehicles” in a bid to “recover the proceeds of the crime.”
A Cheongju District Prosecutors’ Office spokesperson was quoted as saying:
“We will ensure our case has no loopholes so that the defendant is given a sentence appropriate to the nature of this crime.”
Several crypto-related crypto scandals have rocked the South Korean civil service in recent months.
In March, a Seoul civil servant was arrested on charges of committing crypto-related fraud and carrying out voice phishing attacks.
The nation was also stunned by the case of a public official who fled abroad after converting some $3.24 million worth of national health insurance funds to crypto.
And back in November 2022, a high-ranking civil servant was photographed trading Dogecoin (DOGE) on his mobile phone during an important local government meeting.
‘High-ranking’ S Korean Civil Servant Caught Trading DOGE During Key Meeting
The post South Korean Prosecutors: Civil Servant ‘Stole Public Funds to Buy Crypto’ appeared first on Cryptonews.
Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!
Account Frozen
Your account is frozen. You can still view content but cannot interact with it.
Please go to your settings to update your account status.
Open Profile Settings