On February 2, the Seoul High Court’s Criminal Division 13, presided over by Judge Baek Kang-jin, overturned the lower court’s ruling that had sentenced Ahn Sung-hyun to four years and six months in prison on charges including fraud and acceptance of bribes causing financial damage under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes. The appellate court instead delivered a full acquittal.
The court cited a lack of credibility in the prosecution’s witnesses as the decisive factor behind the ruling. In particular, the testimony of Kang Jong-hyun, considered a central figure in the case, was deemed unreliable due to repeated inconsistencies and frequent reversals in his statements.
The appellate panel also found that the testimony of singer MC Mong, which had played a significant role in securing the guilty verdict at the first trial, lacked evidentiary strength. During cross-examination, MC Mong reportedly gave evasive answers, further weakening the prosecution’s case.
Crucially, the court concluded that Ahn Sung-hyun was not a co-conspirator who profited from illicit funds, but rather acted merely as a “messenger” who conveyed requests between parties. The judges pointed out a logical contradiction in the prosecution’s argument, noting that Ahn could not simultaneously be a fraudster who deceived others out of money and an accomplice who shared in those same proceeds.
Based on this reasoning, the court found Ahn’s explanation more persuasive than the prosecution’s charges and ruled in his favor.
Ahn Sung-hyun had been taken into custody following the first trial’s prison sentence, but was later released on bail during the appeal process and attended the proceedings without detention. Throughout the controversy, his wife Sung Yuri had repeatedly expressed on social media her belief in her husband’s innocence, stating that she prayed for the truth to be revealed.
Sources: Daum
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