Head of Mongolia’s Constitutional Court accused of sexually harassing Korean flight attendant
The South Korean police have barred the chief justice of Mongolia’s Constitutional Court from leaving the country. Dorj Odbayar, 52, is charged with sexually harassing a female flight attendant while onboard a Korean Air flight.
The women and youth investigations department at the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency disclosed that Odbayar was arrested on Nov. 6 at Incheon International Airport on charges of sexual harassment and intimidation. He was released around midnight on the night of Nov. 6, following 11 hours of questioning.
But the police are open to the idea of more questioning and consulted with prosecutors to slap a travel ban on Odbayar.
Odbayar was placed under arrest after arriving at Incheon International Airport at 8:29 am that morning. His interrogation about the events in question began at 1 pm and was conducted in the presence of an attorney.
Out of concern for diplomatic repercussions, the police didn’t disclose what was discussed during the interrogation, including whether the judge acknowledged the charges against him.
This was the second time that Odbayar was interrogated. On Nov. 1, the day after the incident occurred, he was questioned for an hour and a half in a police interrogation room in the secure section of Incheon Airport
Odbayar is accused of harassing a flight attendant by groping her buttocks on a Korean Air flight from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, bound for Incheon Airport at 8:05 pm on Oct. 31.
During the questioning on Wednesday, the judge was also reportedly asked about allegations that he made threatening and abusive remarks to another flight attendant, a Mongolian national who served as an interpreter during the incident.
In his first interrogation, Odbayar reportedly said that he’d apparently been confused with another passenger and threatened to lodge a diplomatic complaint about his treatment.
The police have also secured an arrest warrant for a 42-year-old Mongolian individual who accompanied Odbayar on the flight and are in consultation with the Mongolian Embassy in Seoul about a time for him to be called in for questioning. He is accused of sexually harassing another female flight attendant by wrapping his arms around her shoulders. The individual in question was released without being questioned on the day of the incident and continued on to Singapore.
A spokesperson for the police explained that they imposed a 10-day travel ban on Odbayar, after deliberation with prosecutors, because of the possibility of further questioning. The police are exploring the possibility that the judge may also have violated the Aviation Security Act.
By Lee Jung-ha, staff reporter
Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]
Source:http://english.hani.co.kr/
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