South Korean police officers are facing trial in connection with bribery allegations related to cryptocurrency fraud.

Two South Korean police officers stand accused in an ongoing trial involving alleged bribery in a high-profile crypto fraud case. The Namdo Ilbo newspaper reported on May 14th that the Gwangju District Court’s Criminal Division commenced the trial of a 59-year-old superintendent police officer, referred to as “A” for legal reasons. The court is also trying a 57-year-old police lieutenant (“B”) from the same station.The case revolves around an alleged crypto fraudster identified as Tak, who is accused of masterminding an art-themed altcoin scam. Police believe Tak deceived numerous crypto enthusiasts out of approximately $2.1 million in fiat and cryptocurrencies. They accuse him of running a fraudulent Ethereum (ETH) and NFT-related project. Additionally, officers allege that Tak convinced several individuals to invest in a bogus crypto-related company.When law enforcement and prosecutors began investigating Tak, the alleged fraudster hired a legal “broker” named Seong (aged 62). Prosecutors claimed that Seong paid the superintendent over $7,300 in cash bribes on two occasions to influence B’s promotion. The court recorded two instances where Seong met with the superintendent police officer at restaurants on February 4th and 15th. Both officers have been suspended from their positions during the trials.Seong appears to have cultivated connections within the local police force and the Gwangju and Mokpo prosecution services. Tak has confessed to providing Seong with money to bribe prosecution officials and police officers in an attempt to clear his name. However, this strategy appears to have failed. Last month, a Mokpo prosecutor was jailed for a year after accepting a bribe from Seong.Seong confessed to placing envelopes filled with cash into both police officers’ coat pockets, which were hanging on pegs in the restaurant. A’s legal team disputed the allegations, questioning the timing of the bribe request and the accuracy of the account. The defense lawyers also inquired whether Seong explicitly requested the superintendent’s promotion when handing over the alleged bribes. Seong claimed to have limited recollection of the events from February 2022, citing his haste at the time.The court will reconvene on June 11th. Additional officers are expected to face trial in the coming weeks and months. The media outlet reported that the prosecution has indicted 18 individuals in connection with the case, including former and current prosecutors and police officials, as well as another broker.