Former CEO Yang Hyunsuk claims his innocence against the accusation of suppressing B.I’s drug purchase investigation
Former YG Entertainment CEO Yang Hyunsuk pleaded not guilty to suppressing the investigation into B.I, a former member of the group iKon.
On the 13th, Yang Hyunsuk joined the first trial at the Seoul Central District Court’s 23rd Criminal Agreement Department (Senior Judge Yoo Young Geun). He was indicted without detention for violating the law on aggravated punishment of certain crimes. Since it was not an official trial date, and an investigation for evidence had not started, the defendant (former CEO Yang Hyunsuk) was not obliged to attend.
Amidst the spread of Covid 19, the trial date has been changed twice. Finally, the trial was held on the 13th. Before, Yang Hyunsuk‘s legal representative from legal firm Sejong sent a submission to the court on the 11th.
Former CEO Yang Hyunsuk was put on trial on May 28 on charges of suppressing B.I‘s drug investigation. A, the informant, said that after A was arrested to tell the police about B.I’s buying drugs, Yang Hyunsuk contacted and used many methods to entice and threaten A to prevent the investigation of B.I from continuing.
The prosecution revealed, “On August 21, 2016, Yang Hyunsuk received a report from Kim, the head of the management support office. The report said that A had told police that ‘B.I. traded drugs through A and inhaled LSD.’ He told Kim to take A to YG office and then threatened him to ‘put his statement back.’ As A is an aspiring entertainer, they even threatened A’s future.“
Yang Hyunsuk‘s legal representative responded, “We completely deny the charges. We claim not guilty.” He said, “It is true that we met and talked, but there is no threat or coercion.” In the evidence list, “most evidence is just A’s statement. We are reviewing evidence, but there has been a large amount. Mr. Yang’s case is separate from Defendant 3’s case but the evidence has not been separated. We hope the prosecution will separate it. No definite conclusions can be made without examining the forensics data and the original.“
Defendant 3 mentioned is currently on the run. He was accused of taking A to the U.S. Prosecutors said, “The case is separate from the case of former CEO Yang Hyunsuk, so even if there is no defendant 3, it can be prosecuted. The facts of the crime are different.“
