Will the Arrest Motion for National Assembly Member Ha Young-je be Raised in the National Assembly on the 23rd?

Request for Arrest Warrant on Charges of Violating Political Funds Act and Others

The legal community expects that a motion for consent to arrest regarding Hayoungje, a member of the National Assembly from the People Power Party, who has had an arrest warrant requested on charges including violation of the Political Funds Act, will be brought before the National Assembly.

On the 20th, the Criminal Division 4 of the Changwon District Prosecutors' Office in Gyeongnam announced that it had requested an arrest warrant on charges of violating the Political Funds Act and the Act on the Prohibition of Improper Solicitation and Graft.

According to the legal community on the 21st, the Changwon District Court sent a request for consent to arrest regarding Assemblyman Ha to the Changwon District Prosecutors' Office, which is known to have forwarded the request to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office.

After the request for consent to arrest passes through the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and the Ministry of Justice and receives the President's approval, it will be submitted to the National Assembly, where a vote on the motion for consent to arrest Assemblyman Ha is scheduled to take place in the plenary session.

Changwon District Court, Gyeongnam.
Photo by Lee Seryeong

A legal community official explained that after the Speaker of the National Assembly receives the request, it must be reported at the first plenary session convened thereafter and put to a vote within 72 hours after 24 hours have passed; if the deadline is missed, the vote will be held at the next plenary session convened.

The legal community anticipates that the motion for consent to arrest will be reported at the 1st plenary session of the 404th extraordinary session on the 23rd and then put to a vote at the next plenary session on the 30th.

According to the prosecution, Assemblyman Ha is suspected of receiving 70 million won from a preliminary candidate for the Gyeongnam Provincial Assembly election as a bribe for helping with the candidate's nomination last year, and a total of 57.5 million won from local government heads and aides under the pretext of operating expenses for regional offices.

Incumbent members of the National Assembly have immunity from arrest or detention without the consent of the National Assembly during sessions.

For the pre-arrest substantive hearing of a suspect to proceed, the motion for consent to arrest must be passed in the National Assembly plenary session with a majority of the total members present and a majority of the members present voting in favor.