OBSTRUCTION
OF
JUSTICE
BLOOD MONEY 
Preparations were being made by Ahn Oh Joo to bribe more people. Seok
Gwan Dong was helping him to wrap up boxes of cash and dried fish to be
distributed to certain people to grease their hands.
    
‘When it comes to money, the giver gains power. The recipient
will be my slave forever. Giving cash to fools who don’t get that gets us results
right away, doesn’t it?’
The gist of his words of wisdom was that the stupid and greedy
people would be trapped and be forever in his debt.
Ahn Oh Ju’s secretary rushed in to inform him that a new witness
had appeared. The big boss arranged for a meeting at his building which was
still in the process of being built.
      
The gangster boss wanted avoid being seen together with the witness as it might complicate things.
 
The witness was asked pointedly whether he saw something in the warehouse where Mayor Lee Young Soo was killed.
The man witnessed the mayor entering the place and someone followed him. He didn’t know who the man was but he was certain that it was not Wu Hyeong Man. The murderer was taller and thinner than the detective.
The crucial fact was Detective Wu had a limp but the other man walked normally.               
Why didn’t he tell the police instead of going to see the gangster boss? He thought Wu Hyeong Man and the mayor-to-be were best friends. He had grown up in the Ki Seong fish market and was familiar with their relationship.
The witness personally imparted the information to the gangster boss because he thought the information was valuable enough to save his old friend. Little did he know about the real situation.
And, he confessed that he wanted money for his information. Blood money - reward for information about the murderer.
The expected reward was to be based according to Ahn’s wealthy standards; it amounted to real greed.      Ahn Oh Ju was not a sucker but the greedy witness was. The simpleton was myopic. The gangster would allow him to set up his vending machines on every floor when the building was ready, in about half a year’s time. The other man fell for it hook, line and sinker. Ahn, with cold calculation, urged the greedy man to draw closer as he wanted to regale him with his success story.      
‘This building is the seventh (7th) one that I’ve built in Ki Seong,’ he boasted. ‘That’s why I am calling it the Chilseong Building, the Seven Star building.’
    
‘But, the problem is, you won’t get to see its completion.’
With those ominous words, he urged Seok Gwang Dong with his eye signals to kill the hapless man.
Seok Gwan Dong may have been a gangster in Seoul but he was no murderer. In the past, he threatened and beat up his victims but when he was motioned to kill the witness, he was appalled.
But, like a robot, he obeyed his forceful master. After kicking the man to oblivion, Seok Gwan Dong was traumatised. Ahn Oh Ju had to slap him several times to bring him out of his shock.
          
The gangster boss instructed him to tie up the loose ends; he was to search the man’s house for any videos or evidence of the mayor's murder and also to dispose of the victim in a far off place. He did not want his new building to be associated with the victim's death.
         |
THE
NEXUS
OF
POWER
AND CORRUPTION
 
Judge Cha’s mansion was decked out in glittering bright lights
that night. The beauty of the splendid structure, an abode fit for a queen, was enhanced by the perfectly manicured lawns.
One is stunned by the spectacular panoramic night view of the
brightly-lit city.
The setting reflected Judge Cha Moon Sook’s fine taste and glamorous lifestyle. A long table, with fine tableware, was set out outside the main door.
The tale had taken another twist. The horrors of the tale were adding up. The shocking fact was the presence of the seven (7) powerful,
important and wealthy but corrupt people who were seated around the table.
 
The Judiciary. The two-faced Judge Cha sat, like a queen, at the head of the table in the lavish setting.
The Press. Han Tae Kyeong, the avaricious Chief Editor of the Ki Seong Daily sat to her right.
Corporate Business. Ahn Oh Ju, the murderous gangster Chairman of the Ohju Group, sat next to him. Being the candidate favoured by Judge Cha, he would take centrestage at the dinner that night.
Lobbyist. Go In Doo, Ahn Oh Ju’s unscrupulous lawyer, was a former judge. He had benefited from the Revolving Door policy.
The Bank. Opposite him sat Son Sung Sik, the fraudulent President of the Ki Seong Savings Bank. He must have made a lot of easy money and was probably laughing all the way to his own bank.
The Prosecution. Jang Sang Ik, the unprincipled Chief Prosecutor of the Prosecution Service, sat next to Nam Soon Ja.
The Judge's Secretary. Nam Soon Ja was Judge Cha Moon Sook’s right hand woman and Secretary since she was young. Both women were identical in power-seeking but, one was rough and uncouth; the other, sophisticated and elegant. One was the servant; the other, the master.
Here was the nexus between the judiciary, the press, the bank, the prosecution, the lobbyist and corporate business.
And, for the moment, Nam Soon Ja, had taken on the role of the undertaker. There was no shortage of bad people. Not just bad but hardened criminals.
It was Ahn Oh Ju’s big night.
Being the flamboyant tycoon that he was, he stood up and started pouring champagne for everyone, starting with Judge Cha, whom they considered to be the top person.
Ahn Oh Ju was asked whether that night was the start of his political campaign. Everyone of them knew that he was Judge Cha’s preferred candidate for the mayoral post.
The man joked about the hierarchy in Korea. First, was the people. Second, the business or companies. Third, politics.
He claimed that his position had plunged to the third position. He was originally in the second position. He was in business but now, it looked like he was about to be relegated to the third position, that is, if he won the position of Mayor of Ki Seong. Laughter ensued.
Judge Cha Moon Sook took this as her cue to drum up support for him.
           
Han Tae Kyeong, the Chief Editor of the Ki Seong Daily declared that with everyone’s cooperation and their combined force, there was nothing that couldn't be done. United they stand.
The ever-smiling Chief Editor Han was the most amiable and he predicted success and triumph for Ahn Oh Ju. He would definitely be elected as the mayor. But once he got elected, he should not tarry any longer and put The Golden City, which had been shelved for 18 years, on its feet again.
    
Son Sung Sik, indulgently advised Ahn Oh Ju that Ki Seong Savings Bank was ever ready to be of service to him. Money was no object. If he became the mayor, whatever money he wanted would be available to him. What hold had Ahn Oh Ju over him that obliged Son Sung Sik to hand over the citizen’s money to him?
   
One person was pouring cold water on Ahn Oh Ju. Jang Sang Ik, the Chief Prosecutor, did not approve of the gangster Chairman. He was snide in his comments.
‘They say addiction to politics is incurable. Do you even understand what politics is?’
Ahn’s pat answer was, ‘I’ll develop The Golden City, feed the Ki Seong population and win the trust of Judge Cha. That’s more than enough for me.’
Did such sweet talk signal that he would be Judge Cha's yes-man? The clever old fox had tried to butter up the judge for the moment. Would Judge Cha Moon Sook lap up the flattery or was she above that?
      
Jang Sang Ik’s warning was ominous. 'Those who are not well-versed in the art of politics shouldn’t get involved or else they might mess up the country.’
That prompted Judge Cha to intervene. If he was so concerned, she suggested that he should help Chairman Oh with his campaign to ensure that he did not mess it up.
With that, she proposed a toast to Ahn Oh Ju.       
Ahn should not be celebrating just yet. He still had formidable
obstacles to overcome.
Nam Soon Ja, the powerful right-hand woman-cum-secretary of the
judge who had remained standing, declared that there was still an empty seat even
if Ahn Oh Ju became the mayor. Nobody could complain of her lacking transparency
about her intentions.
  
The newspaper man expressed that unlike other cities, the Mayor of Ki Seong would gain extraordinary wealth and power. And as Judge Cha’s right-hand man, it would be twice the threat.
   
‘What would you do with your Ohju Group once you’ve been elected as the mayor?’
Greed and power had addled Ahn Oh Ju’s mind. He was nonplussed for a moment. She had hit below the belt and at his Achille’s heel.
What was she implying? One could not mix business with politics. Politicians in high positions could not be embroiled in business scandals.
If he wanted to be a politician, he should not be a businessman and vice versa.      
Now that he had chosen politics over money, Ahn declared that he had already decided to dedicate himself to the city of Ki Seong. He would delegate somebody to take over his business and thereafter, devote his life to Judge Cha and Ki Seong.
Perhaps, he was just wet behind the ears and the thought of sacrifice did not occur to him. Sacrificing his business. The pressure and heat was too great; he tried evading the issue.
One shouldn’t underestimate a former gangster of a fish market. He had brought along his bribes and gifts of dried fish with him to be distributed to everyone present. Such fishy business.
             In this group of seven (7), what exactly was the pecking order? Would it soon be clear? Judge Cha was at the top but would she be able to maintain that position? If the whole structure collapsed, who would be the first to go? |
BONG SANG PIL AND JUDGE CHA MOON SOOK 
Ha Jae Yi had just arrived home. She was looking at the
photograph of Judge Cha Moon Sook and her father, Judge Cha Byung Ho. They were a
well-respected family.
Her mind was confused. It was puzzling that Judge Cha Moon Sook’s name was mud in Bong Sang Pil’s eyes. She seemed to be involved in a vast network of intrigue.
Judge Cha’s name had popped out in the tense conversation between Bong Sang Pil and Ahn Oh Joo.
She had also overheard Judge Cha’s name being mentioned in Bong’s conversation with Choi Dae Woong.
      
Ha Jae Yi then made a discreet call to a certain lawyer, Jang, on the off chance of getting valuable information on another lawyer, presumably Bong Sang Pil. Jang worked at the Bar association.
   |
THE COLOUR OF MONEY 
Ahn Oh Ju had brought tons of money to be stacked in Judge Cha’s huge safe. The cash-laden safe
reeked of corruption. The cash must have sagged under its weight.
      
When he became the mayor, Ahn Oh Ju promised to put the plans of The Golden City into motion and fill up about a hundred safes with money for her.
Instead of being grateful for her support, Ahn Oh Ju had a demand – that the judge made it easier for him to win the election. He prostrated before her for the second time in his life.
He would soon be announcing his candidacy at the Ki Seong fish market but he would be forever grateful if she showed up to support him.
             But her reply was he was all on his own. She had endorsed his candidacy; she had set up the banquet …..ops the table for him, so did he expect to be spoon fed as well?  He begged her but she rebuffed his plea.
She had no intention of standing at a stinky fish market just to throw her weight behind him in order to ensure that he won.
     
Having failed to win her over, he voiced his concern over the video evidence that had surfaced in the trial. He was fearful that Wu Hyeong Man would be freed if his alibi was proven.
She asked if the final court decision was any of his concern. She may have picked him to be the mayor but who was he to try to control her power over the court?
Her courtroom was inviolable; he should hold it as sacred.           
When the mayoral candidate finally left Judge Cha’s palatial
home, Bong Sang Pil was tracking him. Bong had a determined look on his face.
Bong followed him for a great distance before he contacted the gangster Chairman.
Ahn Oh Ju had many things on his mind, including the elections.
Another was the persistent broker or fixer who had introduced him to the hitman. The hitman was dead but the fixer was in dire straits as the lawless team were out to trap him.
The fixer could fix anything but he couldn’t fix things for himself. Ahn Oh Ju reprimand him for kicking up such a huge fuss.
The Chairman ordered him to lie below the radar until they found him a boat. Did that mean that Ahn Oh Ju, not him, was involved in human smuggling?          
What was Bong Sang Pil up to? He made a provocative call from the dead hitman’s mobile phone to drive Ahn Oh Ju to distraction.
The secretary was shocked. Bong Sang Pil caught them off-guard. Now, he had all their attention.
‘You probably shouldn’t talk to me but you can’t hang up either. That’s a huge dilemma.’ He laughed; he had a dangerously complacent attitude.
    
He wondered if they regularly talked to the hitman. He wanted to do the same with them. ‘Don’t forget to take my calls,’ he teased.
Even though he did not reveal his identity, Ahn Oh Ju already knew it was Bong Sang Pil. Ahn wasn’t going to scramble back home to rest; he would be plotting and planning his next move against Bong Sang Pil.
Bong Sang Pil was hell-bent on bringing Ah Oh Ju and Judge Cha Moon Sook to justice. But, he was too reckless and he was putting himself in jeopardy.
Was he playing with fire by showing his hand too early? Was he taking things a bit too far at this stage? Could everything backfire on him?           |
OBSTRUCTION
OF
JUSTICE
Bong Sang Pil’s lawyering life took a turn for the worse.
He was in a closed-door meeting with Judge Cha Moon Sook, Judge
Baek and Prosecutor Kang Yeon Hee. The other judge in the three-judge panel was missing in the meeting.
Judge Cha stated that she and her panel of three judges had deliberated over the video evidence submitted by the Defense Lawyer. She determined that the evidence was inadmissible in court.
The shocking truth was Judge Cha Moon Sook was blatantly guilty of suppressing the truth.  
The evidence was returned to Bong Sang Pil. Was Bong surprised that it would turn out this way? He asked why but the response was the court’s decision was final.
Judge Baek was unbelievable. He stated that it was hard to recognize the face in the video as that of Wu Hyeong Man. Since it couldn’t be proven that it was him, the evidence would be thrown out.
Bong was truly annoyed with the presence of Judge Baek. The sexual pervert dressed in judicial robes must have coloured the final decision.
           With raised eyebrows, Bong stared directly at Judge Cha and asked whether Judge Baek’s opinion was also included in the court’s decision on the video evidence.
There were two different issues. The video evidence. Judge Baek’s sexual misconduct.
Both issues were brought up by Bong Sang Pil. The decision on one should not affect the other.
To ensure that the decision on the video evidence was unprejudiced, Judge Cha had the responsibility of asking for independent opinions, an action which she did not take. Judge Baek should have been excluded from the panel who made the decision on the video evidence.  
With an air of finality, Judge Cha declared that there would not be any change in the panel of judges because Judge Baek’s alleged crimes couldn’t be confirmed.
Judge Baek couldn’t lift his face to look Bong in the eye when she claimed that there was no reason to remove him from the panel.
    
But they didn’t know Bong Sang Pil. The lawless lawyer could neither be so easily dismissed nor scorned.
Bong Sang Pil was not going to allow them to get away with it. He remarked that they would not be able to flatly object if he were to send the video evidence to be analysed by experts.
With defiance, Bong argued that whether the evidence was proven beyond reasonable doubt or not was not really the issue at stake.
The real issue lay in Judge Cha’s blunt refusal to accept the video evidence. His accusation was bold and direct - there was suppression of the truth by the court.
His accusation was not without justification. Judge Cha was using unethical tactics to nullify all his efforts to defend the accused and he, Bong Sang Pil, was a victim of foul play.
    
Judge Cha understood all the accusations and their implications. She was at risk of exposure as a prejudiced judge and it would tarnish her enviable reputation that she had fought so hard to preserve.
So, she warned him, ‘If you continue to mock the court with fabricated evidence and a false witness, I won’t let it slide.’
   
She warned him that if he was attacking her integrity, he should retract it or else he would be arrested again.
Bong Sang Pil was unintimidated. He laughed disdainfully at her threats. ‘You tend to leap to conclusions.’
He added for good measure, ‘You definitely wouldn’t be able to reject the evidence that I would be submitting at the next hearing.’
Judge Cha had underrated and underestimated his courage and determination
       
When he exited the meeting room, Prosecutor Kang Yeon Hee expressed
her sympathy for him as his position was now unfavourable.
But, she was surprised by his calm and relaxed demeanour. He explained that he was relieved that the trial was going as he had expected.    Prosecutor Kang was convinced that it was all nonsense.         
He reminded her that although they were both fighting against each other in the law court, they were, in actual fact, in pursuit of the truth.
     |