A probation officer was arrested on suspicion of ignoring a drug offender's repeated offenses in exchange for bribes, the Ministry of Justice announced Friday.
The ministry pledged to intensify the oversight of drug offenders and relevant personnel to prevent such incidents in the future.
Seongnam Jungwon Police Station in Gyeonggi Province said Thursday that it had arrested a probation officer in his 50s who is suspected of taking 5 million won ($3,789) in return for overlooking drug use by an offender that he was supervising.
A drug offender in his 40s was arrested for taking methamphetamine and sentenced to probation earlier this year. When he tested positive in the monthly drug test in May, he bribed his probation officer to cover it up.
When an offender tests positive, the probation officer is required to conduct a thorough examination and ask the police to investigate the situation. However, the probation officer in this case neither conducted an examination nor reported the case to the police.
“The Ministry of Justice recognized the allegations of misconduct and asked the police to investigate the case. The officer who received the bribe was dismissed from his post immediately," said the Justice Ministry, Friday.
The ministry added that the drug testing procedures and testing reagent management system for probation subjects have been reorganized to prevent similar misconduct.
