Officer A, a senior inspector at Gwangsan Police Station's investigation unit in Gwangju, who faces charges including evidence destruction in the Jang Yun-gi case, boards a transport vehicle after attending a pre-detention warrant hearing at Gwangju District Court in Dong-gu on Wednesday morning. [Yonhap]
Officer A, a senior inspector at Gwangsan Police Station's investigation unit in Gwangju, who faces charges including evidence destruction in the Jang Yun-gi case, boards a transport vehicle after attending a pre-detention warrant hearing at Gwangju District Court in Dong-gu on Wednesday morning. [Yonhap]

The investigation team leader assigned to the Jang Yun-gi (23) case in its early stages ordered officers to leave cable ties untouched, according to statements obtained by investigators — the first time specific instructions from the team leader have emerged in connection with allegations of evidence destruction and collusion surrounding the case.

A special investigative team set up to examine the murder case at Gwangju's Gwangsan Police Station confirmed the account while recently questioning officers from the unit that had handled the case. Members of the investigation team, interviewed as witnesses, told the special team that Senior Inspector A, their unit leader, had instructed them to leave the cable ties where they were.

The cable ties were found in the glove compartment of Jang's SUV. Investigators consider them a key clue to establishing motive, as they could have been used to restrain the victim.

Despite knowing about the cable ties on May 5, the day the crime occurred, the investigation team did not collect them as evidence.

After media reports raised evidence destruction allegations earlier this month, the current head of Gwangsan Police Station's criminal investigations division instructed Senior Inspector A to submit materials that had not been sent to prosecutors. Senior Inspector A refused, according to sources.

It has not been confirmed what materials were refused or the reasons given for the refusal.

The missing cable ties were recovered Tuesday when prosecutors searched the residential address of Jang's father, who is believed to have taken them from the vehicle himself.

The special investigative team is examining the circumstances under which the team leader issued the order.

Investigators are also looking into whether the instructions passed through or involved the supervisory chain of command, sources said.

Senior Inspector A, who had been arrested on charges of evidence destruction, was formally detained Wednesday.


hss@heraldcorp.com