A police officer testified that a report on allegations of gambling by Han scholars was made to the Presidential Office but was not formally assigned as a case due to lack of evidence.
During a court hearing, a police officer revealed that a report concerning the gambling allegations against Han scholar and Unification Church leader was communicated to the Presidential Office but was not escalated to a formal investigation. The officer stated that he had received tips about potential misconduct involving Han scholar from insiders in the Unification Church between May and July 2022, which he documented and reported up the chain of command. Despite the report being marked for the Presidential Office, it was ultimately not pursued as a case due to what police officials cited as insufficient evidence.
The investigation into the gambling allegations began in June 2022 when tips suggested that Han and other church executives embezzled funds from the church to engage in illegal gambling in Las Vegas between 2008 and 2011. Reports indicated that the church leaders were involved in gambling activities amounting to approximately 600 billion won. However, the initial investigation stalled without significant progress, and the details revealed in court have brought this issue back into the public eye.
The allegations resurfaced when a special prosecution team conducted searches in July of the previous year. According to findings from this investigation, a member of the National Assembly was implicated in relaying internal police information about the gambling allegations. Reports stated that Han and church executives were possibly implicated in illegally transferring church funds abroad for gambling activities, raising concerns about the integrity of the police's response to the allegations and their protocol for handling such serious accusations.
