Cha Ga-won, Facing Arrest Warrant Over 30 Billion Won Fraud Allegations, Raises Concerns Over Information Leaks Instead of Refuting Charges

Cha Ga-won, CEO of One Hundred, for whom police have requested an arrest warrant on charges of fraud totaling approximately 30 billion won, has opted to raise issues regarding the process of the warrant application and how the information reached the media, rather than providing a specific rebuttal to the allegations themselves.

Hyun Dong-yeop, the legal representative for CEO Cha, released a video on his YouTube channel on the 15th titled "Emergency Statement Regarding the Arrest Warrant Request for Chairman Cha Ga-won."

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Financial Crime Investigation Unit recently requested an arrest warrant for Chairman Cha on charges including fraud under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Economic Crimes. The police suspect that Chairman Cha received approximately 24.2 billion won in advance payments during an IP business contract with Knplist, but failed to fulfill the business obligations properly. It is also reported that fraud charges amounting to 5.4 billion won related to a separate lease deposit contract have been applied.

In his YouTube video, attorney Hyun mentioned specific reporters and media outlets by name, stating, "Some media outlets knew about the warrant application before I, the suspect's attorney, even knew." He claimed, "I received confirmation calls from Chosun Ilbo reporters starting in the morning. It is difficult to understand how the media knew about a fact that even the suspect's legal counsel was unaware of."

He further questioned the specific media outlets, asking them to "reveal how they obtained this information," and raised the possibility of information leaks between the media and investigative agencies. He also stated, "It is deeply regrettable that they requested an arrest warrant while a quasi-appeal has already been filed due to confirmed illegalities during the search and seizure process," adding, "We plan to file a petition with the National Human Rights Commission of Korea against the investigation team leader and investigators for human rights violations during the investigation process."

However, in the broadcast that day, attorney Hyun did not provide detailed evidence or specific facts regarding the 30 billion won fraud allegations cited by the police as the reason for the arrest warrant request. Instead, when the news of the police's warrant request was reported, he stated, "I question whether the police have properly grasped the legal principles and facts."

This approach is similar to the reaction shown by singer MC Mong ahead of the broadcast of MBC's "PD Note."

In a live broadcast held before the "PD Note" episode last month, MC Mong raised suspicions about the verification of informants and the production and reporting staff, mentioning specific individuals by name. He also discussed past reports regarding military service evasion allegations and the possibility of the production team violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act (Kim Young-ran Act), but did not offer a specific rebuttal to the core allegations raised in the broadcast. Even after the program aired, he has continued his activities on TikTok live broadcasts without providing a concrete refutation of the content.

Meanwhile, in an additional teaser video released on the 16th, attorney Hyun signaled further challenges by revealing KakaoTalk conversation logs between individuals on the complainant's side. Referencing the KakaoTalk messages between the BPM finance director and an official from the complainant, Knplist, attorney Hyun argued that "the credibility of the witness statements must be re-examined."

The prosecution is expected to decide whether to request the warrant from the court after reviewing the arrest warrant and investigation records submitted by the police.



(Reported by Kang Kyung-yoon, SBS Entertainment News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.