The Ultimate Inspector, Kang Ji-hyeok - Chapter 10



Only Krnovel

Episode 10

【 Kang Ji-hyeok, a brilliant debut 】

As a military prosecutor, I briefly outlined the outline of the case.

It was a story about a simple death caused by negligent homicide during a drinking situation at a post-work dinner between a lieutenant and a sergeant.

“Hmm. I see.”

The judge says that with a serious face and looks at me through his thick glasses.

“But looking at the investigation report presented by Prosecutor Kang Ji-hyeok, it seems a bit different from the original outline of the case.”

The judge also seemed to think the first instance of that outline was quite strange.

After all, time was the best device to make me feel the most important ‘sense of discomfort’.

I looked at the judge for a moment and said with a serious face.

I announced the turn of events in the calmest voice possible.

“This case was initially considered a case of death caused by negligent homicide, but we would like to change the case based on the evidence from this prosecutor’s investigation.”

I see Kim Ji-cheol.

As he had previously agreed, he handed the documents he had brought over to the clerk sitting before the judge.

“···Did you rework all of this while investigating it?”

The clerk was surprised by the enormous amount of data and whispered quietly.

“Yes. I will reveal the details through testimony and trial.”

“No matter what, this is the first time I’ve seen an investigation report of this level in a military court.”

The secretary said in a bewildered voice.

Only then does the judge look at me with interest.

“A change of events······. Let me explain it simply.”

It’s a soft voice.

The judge changed his mind after seeing the enormous amount of investigative documents.

It is true that judges become weak when faced with massive amounts of data.

“Give it to me······.”

“Yes, your honor.”

The clerk politely brought the voluminous material to the judge.

“Then, the prosecutors can proceed. I’ll look over this again······.”

“Thank you, your honor.”

widely.

The lawyer across from me stood up and spoke with an embarrassed look on his face.

“A sudden change in the facts of the case? Your Honor, this is not right. Lieutenant Han and one other person······.”

The judge shook his head, looking at the documents over his thick glasses.

“The attorney’s opinion is dismissed.”

Then he looks at me.

“The inspector will continue talking.”

The lawyer bit his lower lip and sat down.

“This murder case is a premeditated murder in which suspects Han Ji-min and Lee Hyeon-su formed a criminal organization and planned to lure Private Park Chung-deuk, force him to drink alcohol, and then threaten him with a weapon in the bathroom to kill him.”

“Look at this, Inspector Kang! Planning a crime syndicate murder? That’s too much!”

The lawyer stood up and shouted without even being given the chance to speak.

bang!

The judge turned the gavel sideways and lightly slammed it on the table.

“Attorney! Restrain yourself. This is a courtroom!”

The judge read the materials one by one and spoke.

But the lawyer still did not back down.

“I’m sorry. No matter how reckless the prosecutor may be, this is out of line.”

“Just because you’re young doesn’t mean you’re not a good prosecutor. Just like an old lawyer doesn’t mean he’s a good lawyer.”

“What? Watch your mouth, Inspector.”

“You should be careful, lawyer. How much did you receive in legal fees to be on their side like this? You must have received a lot of money, considering you came from the largest law firm in the country to appear in a military court.”

“What are you talking about! Don’t you know that military courts only charge a set amount?”

“Is that so? I didn’t know that. I heard that lawyers get paid separately. If I made a mistake, I apologize.”

During this time, I planted a preconceived notion in the judge that the lawyer might have received bribes beyond the specified amount.

“Stop it! Stop it.”

My plan seemed to have worked.

The judge’s eyes behind his thick glasses glared at the lawyer for a moment with contempt.

Bang bang!

This time the judge raised his gavel and slammed it on the table twice, louder than before.

“If you two are going to fight, then get in the ring and fight! If not, then stop fighting in court.”

Male.

Male.

The few spectators in the gallery were in an uproar.

“I heard that lawyer is from the famous Kim & Joe law firm?”

“Yeah. They say it costs a few pennies for a military court-martial lawyer at a high-end law firm like that.”

“It must be a strange case. I’ve never seen a lawyer work so hard in a military trial before.”

Most of the audience members have some connection to the military.

Also, the relatives of Private Park Chung-deuk or the relatives of the second lieutenants’ workplaces······.

Or maybe it’s the ‘journalists’ who are interested in this case?

I took advantage of the momentum and continued my attack.

“Furthermore, according to the prosecution’s investigation results! The two suspects appear to have formed a criminal organization within the military.”

Male.

Male.

Provocative words began to dance in the courtroom.

It makes sense, because it changed from boring words like ‘negligent homicide’ to hot words like ‘planned murder’ and ‘formation of a criminal organization’.

Knock knock.

Several people in suits, who had sleepy faces until now, opened their laptops and hastily typed on the keyboard.

‘They are definitely reporters.’

As the atmosphere became more serious, the lawyer began to take notice.

“Okay.”

Knowing that the judge had already created a bad image for me, I couldn’t say anything else and kept my mouth shut.

bingo!

In terms of induction, it was considered to have achieved a certain level of ‘validity’ from the start.

chuck.

Detective Kim Ji-cheol, sitting behind me, raised his thumb without anyone noticing.

Exactly, at an angle where only I can see······.

The judge reads about a fifth of the investigative material, stops, and looks at me.

“So, are you saying that the prosecution will turn this case into a case of organized crime and planned murder through such a thorough investigation?”

The older judge spoke to me in a more formal tone than usual.

“Yes, your honor.”

“Do you realize that if you do that, your sentence will be higher if you are found guilty, but it will be more difficult to win at trial?”

Of course I know.

If we just pass it over as the original death case, it’s obvious he’ll be found guilty.

It will probably end with a suspended sentence, or at most a year in prison.

But if that was the case, there was no need to start this dogfight.

I looked at the judge and spoke clearly.

“Yes. It has been proven that the defendants formed a criminal organization with the intention of premeditated murder using weapons within the military and attempted to obtain illegal profits, and in doing so, they contempt the military court and even tamper with evidence.”

I met the confused looks of Han Ji-min and Lee Hyun-soo.

How is it?

Are you feeling a little creepy now?

X foot over.

You can never just leave this courtroom.

I’ll show you that if you make someone cry tears of death, you’ll end up crying tears of blood.

That’s what is called ‘legitimate revenge’.

“These heinous crimes seriously threaten national security and military order, and require severe punishment. Therefore, the prosecution will demand that the defendants in this case be sentenced to death, the maximum sentence in a military court.”

For a moment, the courtroom became quiet as if everything had frozen.

Land! Land!

After a while, the judge’s serious voice echoed throughout the courtroom.

“Okay. Then the trial will now begin. The defense side, please present your counterargument first.”

Attorney Kim Ji-ho thought for a moment and then stood up.

In his hands he held the evidence he had prepared.

“The first incident we saw was an incident that occurred when all three were drunk. Lieutenant Han Ji-min, a young South Korean man who was so drunk that he could not even look around properly, accidentally pushed Sergeant Park Chung-deuk who was about to fall in the bathroom.”

Click.

A photo of Private Park Chung-deuk falling into the bathroom appeared on TV.

“If you look at this photo, which is Evidence No. 1, you can see the victim, Private Park Chung-deuk, lying on the ground with his neck broken.”

“So, the direct cause of death was the broken neck?”

The judge nodded and looked at the photo. Attorney Kim Ji-ho shook his head calmly.

“No. Private Park Chung-deuk, who was drunk, couldn’t breathe because the food he had eaten got stuck in his throat.”

“Then the exact cause of death is ‘asphyxiation by an outsider’?”

I know that in medical terms, it’s called when someone dies because they can’t breathe due to food.

In response to the judge’s question, Attorney Kim Ji-ho turned his head, glanced at Lieutenant Han, and smiled.

I guess he thought it was an expected question.

Surely they would have agreed on this situation.

“At that time, why didn’t the two lieutenants call 119?”

“He said he was so drunk that he passed out. He later called 119, but by then the victim had already died.”

It was a simple and clear answer.

Additionally, the two suspects were said to be not directly responsible for the deaths.

“Prosecutors, ask your questions.”

I got up from my seat.

“Attorney, have you ever been to the Seven Bar incident site?”

“I didn’t go to see it. It was such a simple incident, and a minor collision between three young people in a bathroom is something that could happen.”

“I see. Then let me show you the bathroom.”

Click.

“Please upload the photos contained in the USB from the evidence I submitted today onto the screen.”

“I admit it. Secretary, from now on, please admit the prosecution’s evidence in order.”

“All right.”

At that moment, the lawyer stood up from his seat.

“I object! It’s strange that you admit to new evidence every time it comes up in a case that’s already been a month.”

The judge looks at him.

His expression was strangely cold.

“Defense, the only evidence in this case is the first one you saw and the autopsy doctor’s opinion. All other evidence is circumstantial. There is no evidence at all.”

The lawyer frowned and made a face of recognition.

“So, the evidence that the prosecutors have directly investigated and found will be collected after confirmation. Of course, if the defense also submits new evidence, the same conditions apply as long as the two pieces of evidence do not conflict. Are there any objections?”

It was a clear answer.

I thought he was a good judge.

No matter how polluted this world may be, there is nothing as pure as evidence in a court of law.

“All the evidence I presented can be viewed on the screen, so the defense team can also view it. So there won’t be anything particularly disadvantageous.”

“Okay. Okay.”

Attorney Kim Ji-ho sat down with a look on his face like he had been hit.

“Well, the evidence was really weak.”

And then he muttered to himself like that.

Click.

“Let me show you five photos in order. This is the bathroom at Seven Bar, the scene of the incident.”

A narrow path leading to the bathroom.

A bathroom that can barely accommodate two people.

The photo showed a bathroom so narrow that it was difficult to even fall over.

“······!!”

At that moment, Attorney Kim Ji-ho’s pupils shook greatly.

You can’t miss this opportunity.

“The situation I heard from the bar owner at the time is completely different from what I’m saying now. First, Private Park Chung-deuk drank alone, and then Second Lieutenant Lee Hyeon-su followed him in and blocked the narrow path first.”

A commotion.

The stands were as agitated as the eyes of a so-called swaying sorcerer.

“Putting aside the false testimony that he was drunk, the bathroom was so small that it would have been too cramped for two people. Defendant Han Ji-min would have gone into the bathroom and threatened the victim, Private Park Chung-deuk, with the gun that he had not returned that day.”

Chook.

I took out the belt I had.

“I’m going to strangle him with this belt. Then I’m going to watch him slowly die, and I’m going to bang his head against the wall from behind…”

Boom!

I hit the table loudly.

Shudder.

Everyone squirmed in surprise.

This is what I was aiming for.

“Sergeant Park Chung-deuk died from being strangled to death. By those who had framed him for crimes until now… a month before his discharge.”

Attorney Kim Ji-ho stood up from his seat.

“What kind of novel are you writing! In the opinion paper already submitted as evidence here, there is no evidence of strangulation with a belt!”

I knew it.

You mean that damn piece of forged evidence?

“Well then, let’s look at the next photo. The actual photo at the time of death that I received from the doctor who wrote the medical opinion······.”

The lawyer turns his head and looks at Lieutenant Han Ji-min.

“Why are you looking at the suspect? Didn’t Han Ji-min say that the doctor who forged the evidence ran away to China? Attorney Kim Ji-ho?”