ENTERTAINMENT
‘Application for arrest warrant again’ Yoo Ah-in spends Chuseok in detention center
On the afternoon of the 18th, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office's Violent Crime Investigation Department (Chief Prosecutor Shin Jun-ho) announced that it had requested an arrest warrant for Yoo Ah-in and his acquaintance Mr. Choi (32) on charges of violation of the Narcotics Control Act (hyangjeong), instigating destruction of evidence, and absconding from criminals. .
According to the prosecution, Yoo Ah-in is suspected of habitually buying and administering medical narcotics, including propofol, worth a total of 500 million won, approximately 200 times since 2020 in the name of sedative anesthesia for cosmetic procedures. The prosecution also found that Yoo Ah-in was prescribed and administered approximately 1,000 sleeping pills under someone else's name, and that he was also suspected of taking cocaine and marijuana in the United States with Choi.
The prosecution requested an arrest warrant again, saying that through a supplementary investigation, they additionally discovered that Yoo Ah-in had forced a group of people accompanying him on a trip to the U.S. to smoke marijuana, and that he had coaxed and threatened his accomplice, Mr. Choi, into fleeing abroad and retracting his statement.
Previously, in May, the police applied for arrest warrants for Yoo Ah-in and Choi, but it was dismissed once. At the time, the court dismissed the warrant, saying, “It is difficult to conclude that the suspect is afraid of destroying evidence or running away beyond the scope of his right to defense,” and “It is difficult to acknowledge the reason and necessity of detention at this stage.” The court explained, “The suspect acknowledges the basic facts themselves to a large extent, and is reflecting on his marijuana smoking,” and “There is a need to guarantee the right to defense because the use of cocaine cannot exclude some room for dispute.” .
Because solo marijuana smoking is generally not punishable by imprisonment for a first offense, the first risk of arrest requested by the police and requested by the prosecution was overcome. However, the new facts revealed by the prosecution this time are the solicitation of drugs to others and the accomplice's attempt to flee abroad. If the reasons for dismissal of the first warrant request are faithfully supported, there is a high possibility that the warrant will be accepted. A former prosecution lawyer said, “It is because the prosecution has a lot of confidence when it re-applies for an arrest warrant that the police applied for but was rejected.” He added, “If the warrant is rejected again, the fact that they re-apply for it even though the trial court is unfavorable means that they have the confidence to arrest the person.” “It is,” he explained.
Yoo Ah-in, who was handcuffed and tied to a rope during the warrant substantive examination (interrogation of the suspect before arrest), is expected to be handcuffed a second time as another arrest warrant is requested.
Meanwhile, in the past, first-time drug offenders often ended up with probation regardless of the type or number of drugs used, but now, as social awareness of drugs and awareness of the problem have increased, it is no longer possible to expect a mild punishment. A story emerges.
In particular, Yoo Ah-in is accused of taking at least seven types of drugs, including marijuana, cocaine, ketamine, zolpidem, propofol, midazolam, and alprazolam, and the frequency of drug use was also found to be very high. It is said that the level of addiction is considered to be quite serious.
Composer Don Spike, who is accused of habitual use of Philopon, also overturned the original sentence of probation and was sentenced to two years in prison. There is an assessment that the level of punishment by the court for drug charges has increased.
Choi Ji-ye, Ten Asia Reporter wisdomart@tenasia.co.kr
