PPP lawmaker removed from parliament upon fine sentenced to campaign accounting manager

SEOUL, May 18 (Yonhap) -- The Supreme Court finalized a fine of 10 million won (US$7,514) Thursday for the accounting manager of ruling party lawmaker Kim Sun-gyo's election campaign, a sentence that automatically expels him from parliament.

The court upheld a lower court's ruling and finalized the fine for the accounting manager charged with illegal political funding and election irregularities.

By law, the election of a lawmaker is automatically nullified if his or her chief election campaign accounting manager is given a jail sentence or a fine of 3 million won or more for accounting-related crimes committed during the election.

Kim of the People Power Party and the accounting manager were both indicted on charges of collecting donations exceeding the legal limit of 150 million won per year ahead of the previous parliamentary election in April 2020 and not issuing receipts for the donations.

They were also charged with spending election funds beyond the legal cap and omitting expenditures of around 30 million won from accounting reports.

A district court had initially fined the accounting manager 8 million won, but an appellate court has raised the amount to 10 million won. Both courts have found Kim not guilty and the Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the decision.

pbr@yna.co.kr
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