[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] The Democratic Party of Korea stated on the 24th that the case involving Assemblyman No Woong-rae should be handled by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) rather than the prosecution.
Park Sung-jun, spokesperson for the Democratic Party, said on the day, "The prosecution should transfer the case involving Assemblyman No Woong-rae to the CIO," adding, "We hope the head of the CIO will request the prosecution to refer the case."
Spokesperson Park said, "According to Article 2, Paragraph 1 of the Corruption Investigation Office Act, 'members of the National Assembly' are high-ranking officials, and cases involving members of the National Assembly can be investigated by the CIO," adding, "The charges the prosecution has brought against Assemblyman No Woong-rae are also matters that the CIO should handle."
He stated, "The prosecution's biased investigation practices are being repeated, and public suspicion is growing as to whether the prosecution's investigation is based on planning and fabrication, or if it is aimed at destroying the opposition party and hunting political rivals," adding, "If there is guilt, it will be duly punished. However, we cannot stand by while innocent people are caught."
Assemblyman Park cited issues of trust in the prosecution as the reason why the No Woong-rae case should be transferred to the CIO.
He said, "In a public opinion poll last September, over 60% of the public responded that the prosecution's investigation was unfair," adding, "The prosecution's biased investigation practices that discriminate between those with power and those without have become a symbol of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration."
Assemblyman No is under investigation on charges of receiving bribes and political funds from a businessman.
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