Prosecutors questioned a former Seoul police chief Saturday over suspicions that he had hampered a police probe into the national spy agency’s alleged attempt to influence public opinion ahead of last year’s presidential election.

It was the second time that Kim Yong-pan, who had headed the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) for about two years until early this year, has undergone questioning in connection with the case.

Kim is alleged to have pressured a police investigation team not to delve too deeply into the spy agency’s alleged wrongdoing.

He was first questioned by prosecutors over the case on Tuesday, during which he reportedly denied the allegations.

The prosecution probe came after a female police officer, who had looked into the alleged wrongdoing by the National Intelligence Service, claimed that she could not fully investigate the case because of pressure from her superiors. (Yonhap News)