Yoon Seok-yeol's Side Submits Opinion to the Corruption Investigation Office on the 'Han Myeong-sook Case' Claiming "Exercise of Legitimate Authority"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The campaign team of Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party's presidential candidate, submitted a written opinion to the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Unit (PCC) denying the allegations related to the 'Investigation Obstruction Suspicion in the Case of Former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook's Perjury Coaching,' stating that they exercised legitimate authority according to the law.

On the afternoon of the 30th, Yoon's representatives, lawyers Lee Wan-gyu and Son Kyung-sik, submitted the opinion, saying, "It is utterly difficult to understand why the PCC has registered Yoon as a suspect and is investigating him."

Yoon's side pointed out, "Regarding the inspection of the investigation team for former Prime Minister Han, this year, the relevant department, the Inspection Division 3 of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's chiefs' meeting all decided there was no suspicion," adding, "The joint inspection by the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office also confirmed that there were no particular issues."

They also added, "The Ministry of Justice's disciplinary committee excluded the charge of 'obstruction of inspection' from the disciplinary reasons during the disciplinary procedure against Yoon in December last year, stating there was no suspicion," emphasizing, "This matter has already undergone a thorough investigation and judgment."

The suspicion of perjury coaching arose last April when it was revealed that in 2011, the investigation team for former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook allegedly coached inmates who appeared as trial witnesses to give false testimony that Han had received money.

The PCC has registered Yoon as a suspect on charges that, during his tenure as Prosecutor General, he obstructed the reinvestigation of the suspicion to protect the then-investigation team, considered his close associates, leading to a non-prosecution decision, and is currently investigating.

It is alleged that Yoon intervened by assigning the case to the Human Rights Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office instead of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, contrary to the instructions of then-Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae, and excluded Lim Eun-jung, the Ministry of Justice's inspection officer, from the investigation work.

The PCC views these allegations as constituting the crime of abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of rights and formally began an investigation into Yoon in June.

Yoon's side countered, "The content of the complaint (revelation) is beyond the five-year statute of limitations for prosecutor disciplinary action, so it is not a matter for inspection, and former Prime Minister Han herself has not taken any legal action, so its credibility is very low," adding, "It is difficult to understand what evidence a prisoner in custody could have collected, and although there were sufficient circumstances to suspect the involvement of others, Yoon took measures to have the investigation conducted considering the possibility of human rights violations."

Regarding the suspicion related to case assignment, they claimed, "The regulations on the organization of the Prosecutors' Office assign the supervision and command of cases related to human rights violations by prosecutors to the Human Rights Division of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, so naturally, the Human Rights Division of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office should oversee the matter," and added, "While the Human Rights Division of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office was in charge, the case was transferred to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office as requested by the complainant."

Regarding the instructions from former Minister Choo, they explained, "In June last year, a member of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee requested this during a meeting, and former Minister Choo sent an official letter to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office," adding, "Although it was a very unusual and inappropriate request for a politician and minister to suddenly demand a change of investigation agency during the investigation, Yoon accepted it and handed over all records to the Inspection Department of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office."

Regarding the exclusion of Officer Lim Eun-jung, they stated, "His unilateral opinion claiming investigative authority was not accepted due to errors in understanding the substance of the case and because he was not the lead prosecutor," adding, "The legitimacy of this was reconfirmed at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office chiefs' meeting and the joint inspection, and Minister of Justice Park Beom-gye also accepted the results."