Two Months After Investigation Review Committee's 'Non-Prosecution' Recommendation... Over 50 Days Since Former Reporter Lee Dong-jae's Indictment
Additional Summons of One Prosecutor General Not Conducted... Likely No Decisive Evidence Secured
Investigation of Whistleblower-Reported 'Media-Authority Collusion' Case Also Stalled
Investigation Stagnant in Chu Mi-ae's 'Abuse of Power' Accusation and Jeong Jin-ung's Inspection Case
If Non-Prosecution, Responsibility of Chu Mi-ae and Lee Seong-yoon Inevitable... Suspected Intentional Delay
[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] It has been over 50 days since the prosecution investigating the alleged collusion between prosecutors and media filed charges and detained former Channel A reporter Lee Dong-jae on suspicion of attempted coercion. However, there has been no news regarding the conclusion of the investigation into Prosecutor General Han Dong-hoon, whom Lee has claimed as an accomplice.
It has also been more than two months since the Prosecution Investigation Deliberation Committee (hereafter, the Deliberation Committee) recommended on July 24 to halt the investigation and not indict Prosecutor Han. With no decisive evidence to prove the charges, there are growing speculations that the delay might be intentional.
According to the prosecution on the 28th, the Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office (led by Chief Prosecutor Byun Pil-geon), which is handling this case, has not conducted any additional summons or interrogations of Prosecutor Han since the Deliberation Committee’s recommendation.
Prosecutor Han appeared at the prosecution office on July 21, three days before the Deliberation Committee meeting, and underwent a single interrogation session. However, he was unable to review the suspect interrogation record at that time, concluding the first investigation. Therefore, additional summons and questioning seem necessary.
Although there is a possibility that Prosecutor Han has refused to comply with the prosecution’s summons following the Deliberation Committee’s recommendation to halt the investigation, the investigation team has also not shown active efforts after failing to obtain significant results from the seizure and search of his mobile phone SIM card on July 29, which escalated into a physical altercation.
Not only the investigation into Prosecutor Han but also related cases?including the ‘collusion between prosecutors and media’ investigation involving whistleblower Ji Mo, the disciplinary or investigative actions regarding former Criminal Division 1 Chief Jeong Jin-woong’s (currently Deputy Chief Prosecutor at Gwangju District Prosecutors’ Office) alleged ‘abuse of authority,’ and the abuse of power allegations against Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae?have shown no progress.
Within prosecution circles, attention is drawn to the fact that when former reporter Lee was indicted, the indictment did not include a single line about a conspiracy with Prosecutor Han. This suggests a high likelihood that no decisive evidence proving their collusion beyond the publicly released recordings has been secured.
On the other hand, former Chief Jeong, who led the investigation, stated on July 7 on the prosecution’s internal network e-Pros that “a number of important pieces of evidence have been secured during the investigation, and we are substantially approaching the substantive truth.” Additionally, Kim Dong-hyun, the chief judge in charge of the warrant review at the Seoul Central District Court, issued a detention warrant for former reporter Lee on July 17, stating, “There is considerable material to suspect that the suspect attempted to threaten the victim by connecting with high-ranking prosecution officials to achieve a specific reporting objective.”
This discrepancy between the testimonies at the time and the current situation is striking.
Ultimately, if the prosecution decides not to indict Prosecutor Han or if he is acquitted after indictment, significant repercussions are inevitable.
Seoul Central District Prosecutor General Lee Seong-yoon, who proceeded with the investigation assuming Prosecutor Han’s collusion as a given, and Justice Minister Choo, who supported Lee and even stripped Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl of his investigative authority, are likely to face accountability. The prosecution’s delay is viewed inside and outside the prosecution as a consequence of this dilemma.
Regarding this case, Yoo Sang-beom, a former prosecutor and current People Power Party lawmaker who filed a complaint against Justice Minister Choo for abuse of authority, analyzed, “If Prosecutor Han is not indicted as per the Deliberation Committee’s opinion, it will prove that the claims of Justice Minister Choo and Prosecutor General Lee are fictitious. Therefore, the prosecution should close the related investigations but is instead dragging the case on.”
Meanwhile, at the upcoming National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee’s audit next month, a partisan dispute over this investigation is expected. It is reported that the ruling party opposed the witness selection of Prosecutor Han and former Chief Jeong during the recent witness selection process.
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