The Seoul High Court dismissed the charges against the donor in the police officer bribery case appeal. This reflects the court's interpretation that the prosecution authority of the High-ranking Public Officials Crime Investigation Office (HPIO) is limited to crimes committed by high-ranking public officials or their families. The HPIO argued that it had prosecution authority, citing a past case where former Prosecutor General Kim Hyung-joon was indicted for bribery along with the donor, but the court did not accept this argument. The court supported its interpretation of the HPIO Act based on the National Assembly review report and the Legislative Research Office report. This ruling is expected to reignite debate over the scope of the HPIO's prosecution authority.
