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A court has rejected an application for an arrest warrant for the former star curator Shin Jeong-ah, the woman at the heart of a spiraling bogus degree scandal. The Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office on Sunday applied for the warrant on four charges -- forging private documents, use of forged documents, obstruction of official business and obstruction of justice. But the court turned down the request saying there was no flight risk or fear that Shin would destroy evidence." In a public statement, the prosecutors' office said it was "appalled" at a refusal it claimed "disregarded public demands to get to the bottom of the many allegations¡± beside being "irresponsible¡± and indicative of an ¡°anarchic judiciary." Returning home from detention on Tuesday night, Shin apologized for being the cause of the commotion.
The application concerned Shin¡¯s fabrication of a Yale University doctoral degree certificate around August 2005 for submission to Dongguk University to win appointment as an assistant professor there, and her use of the same bogus degree for her application as art director of the Gwangju Biennale this July. Charges also include her contracts with Ewha Woman¡¯s, Chung-Ang, Kookmin and Sangmyung Universities, where she lectured from 2003 to 2006.
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Shin Jeong-ah, former assistant professor of Dongguk University, heads home after a court rejected an application for her arrest warrant on Tuesday.
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Meanwhile, investigators say they have found a lead on the involvement of ex-presidential aide Byeon Yang-kyoon, Shin¡¯s alleged lover, in a W1 billion government subsidy for the Heungdeok Temple, which is run by the Ven. Youngbae who is also chairman of the Dongguk University board. The temple in Ulju county, Ulsan City won the grant for restoration of cultural property but has yet to receive the money.
Prosecutors believe that Byeon, who was president of the Cheong Wa Dae Buddhist Club, exerted pressure on government agencies to award the aid to the temple and have called in the Ulju county chief for questioning. On Monday, they searched the temple and secured financial records and also searched the office and home of the Dongguk board chairman. Byeon is suspected of peddling his influence to award state grants to several temples, a cut of which was then given to Shin as a token of appreciation.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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