7 News Belize

Bail For Alleged Korean Conspirator
posted (February 5, 2016)
Today one of the persons charged for her part in the alleged Bradley Paumen murder conspiracy applied for bail before Justice John Gonzalez at the Supreme Court in Belize City. She is Korean National Hyang Chong Park of New York - and she's been locked down ever since she landed in the country last week Wednesday.

Police say she played a role in the wider conspiracy against her ex husband, Michael Modiri in February of 2015. The charge against her is perversion of justice. And while everyone else in the group of four has gotten bail - her case is the most complicated because she lives in New York and is considered a flight risk.

But, today Park who has been a regular visitor to Belize for the past 15 years, was granted bail of $75 thousand dollars - despite objections from the prosecution. Attorney Dickie Bradley presented her bail application in court today - and he spoke to us outside the courtroom:...

Richard Dickie Bradley - Attorney for Park
"The fact that a person is a foreigner does not automatically mean you can't get bail in this country. Judge Lucas has said that over and over for years. The fact that you are a foreigner does preclude you from getting bail from the Supreme Court. They are looking at other factors to ensure that you return to court to hear your trial. So what you are saying and what is a serious matter, the judge was think of asking for millions of dollars in valuable land in the petitioner's name - in Miss Park's name. So in the event she does what Mr. David Nanes has done - David Nanes has made it very difficult for persons who don't live in this country to get bail. As the judge has also said even in the United States of America, persons flee the jurisdiction. The court can only do so much."

So, in addition to the hefty bail of $75 thousand dollars, the court did something quite unorthodox. Hyang Chong Park was ordered to submit her title documents for property she bought in Belize - property which is worth in excess of $250 thousand dollars. The judge also took into consideration that Park has an additional million dollar investment in the US. As a result Judge Gonzalez exercised leniency in formulating her bail conditions. Though the prosecution's main objection to bail was that Park posed a flight risk, the judge ordered that she shall be allowed to travel - but only with the consent of the court. The state is hoping that the property documents seized from her will be binding enough to compel her to return for every court hearing. Of note is that her attorneys affirm that she does not want to leave the country, and that she wants to exonerate herself.

Bradley expressed his confidence that his client will be exonerated of the "flimsy" charges.

Richard Dickie Bradley - Attorney for Park
"The evidence presented in court by the investigating officer Sgt. Gomez is that the reason Miss Hyan Chong Park was charged for abetment to commit a crime which is to pervert the course of justice is based according to the sworn affidavit, which is I am telling the truth, is based on another police officer claiming that in February of last year he was requested to come to a private residence. He went there where another person who has been charged offered him $1,500 which he took to plant weapons and ammunition in Mr. Michael Modiri's vehicle. His evidence to the court is that Miss Hyan Chong Park was at that residence at the time. Miss Park did not tell him do it. Miss Park took part in no conversation she was present. Mr. Abadi get some money from Miss Park and come and pay him and he must have been wondering well, this lady is hearing everything or whatever and the person felt 'she knows about it man or something to that effect.' That is the sum total of charging a major investor in the country and then come to court to tell the Supreme Court to keep him in jail for the trial. The bottom line is that in fact the evidence against Miss Park is flimsy, it will not stand up in a court of law and it would be a travesty of justice and injustice to this person to keep her in prison."

Jahan Abadi, a Belmopan businessman was also present during Hyan Chong Park's bail hearing. On Thursday last week, the two were jointly charged for perversion of justice for allegedly being involved in the plot to plant a gun in Modiri's vehicle. Also present during Park's bail application was a representative of the Korean Embassy from El Salvador. Park owns a Spa in Manhattan.

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