A court has rejected all arrest warrants sought for six executives and employees of Ahnjeon Industrial, including CEO Son Ju-hwan, in connection with the deadly fire at the company's plant in Daejeon.
Song Seon-yang, the senior judge in charge of warrants at the Daejeon District Court, rejected the warrants requested by prosecutors on the 8th after questioning Son and five other executives and managers, who face charges including professional negligence resulting in death and injury and destruction of evidence.
Song said the suspects had fixed residences and that a substantial portion of the evidence had already been secured, concluding there was no risk they would flee or destroy evidence. The judge also cited the need to guarantee the suspects' right to defend themselves in declining to find detention necessary.
Son and the five others are accused of failing to properly manage safety, resulting in the casualties in the fire that broke out on March 20 this year at Ahnjeon Industrial in Daejeon's Daedeok district. Fourteen workers were killed and 60 others injured in the accident.
Police are now investigating a total of 14 people. Eight, including Son and other executives, were initially booked on charges of professional negligence resulting in death and injury, but police later booked six more, including company employees and an interior contractor, on charges such as violating the Fire Facilities Act and destroying evidence.
