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‘서울시 공무원 간첩사건’ 피고인 유우성씨의 변호인 장경욱변호사가 검찰 수사를 받게 됐다.
6일 검찰 등에 따르면 서울중앙지검은 탈북자단체 북한민주화청년학생포럼이 장경욱 변호사를 명예훼손 및 법정모욕 등의 혐의로 고발한 사건을 형사1부에 배당했다.
민주사회를 위한 변호사모임(민변) 회원인 장 변호사는 지난달 28 서울시 공무원 간첩사건 공판에서 “범죄자들이 오히려 더 큰 사기죄를 잡겠다고 말도 안 되는 주장을 하는 것”이라면 검찰을 맹비난했다.
장변호사는 재판이 끝날 무렵 재판부의 범죄자라는 표현을 철회하겠냐는 요청에 응하며 사건은 마무리되는 듯 했다.
하지만, 북한민주화청년학생포럼은 장변호사의 발언을 문제 삼아 지난 3일 법정모욕과 명예훼손 등의 혐의로 고발장을 냈다.
검찰은 고발장 접수 후 공판에 직접 관여하는 공안부 등에서 수사하는 것이 적절치 않다고 판단하고 사건을 형사부에 배당한 것으로 알려졌다.
한편 장 변호사는 지난해 11월 독일 포츠담에서 친북성향 단체인 재독일동포협력회의가 마련한 세미나에 참석해 북한 통일전선부 산하기관 인사들과 접촉한 의혹과 관련해서도 경찰의 수사를 받고 있다.
코리아헤럴드 최희석기자 (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)
Spy suspects lawyer comes under probe for defamation
The prosecutors’ office is to investigate spy suspect Yoo Woo-seong’s lawyer Chang Kyung-wook for alleged defamation and contempt of court.
On Thursday, the North Korea defectors’ group Youth Forum of North Korea Democratization filed a complaint against Chang over comments he made during Yoo’s hearing on March 28. Yoo is a former Seoul City official of North Korean-Chinese decent suspected of spying for Pyongyang.
At the time of the hearing, the prosecution had asked to be allowed more time to change the charging document against Yoo. Chang described the prosecution’s request as “criminals making absurd claims that they will punish a bigger crime.”
Chang, however, retracted the statement when prompted by the judges later in the hearing.
“As the investigation has been launched, I can cooperate. However, the allegations of evidence fabrication should also be investigated thoroughly,” Chang told the local media, saying that he could not understand why an investigation had been launched when he retracted the statement. The lawyer also accused the North Korean defectors’ organization of abusing the system by filing complaints based only on media reports.
The probe into Chang is only the latest in to the growing list of investigations that stem from the convoluted developments surrounding Yoo.
Some evidence submitted against Yoo has been shown to be forged, resulting in an investigation in to the National Intelligence Service, which supplied the prosecution with the forged documents.
In addition, the Youth Forum of North Korea Democratization has filed two complaints against Yoo, accusing him of fraudulently receiving subsidies for North Korean defectors and hiding his nationality to gain the Seoul City job.
In an unrelated case, Police are investigating Chang on suspicions that he contacted North Korean officials while attending a seminar organized by pro-Pyongyang ethnic Koreans based in Germany last year.
By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)
