The High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Division (PCC) investigating allegations of external pressure in the death case of Marine Corporal Chae is summoning Yoo Jae-eun, the Legal Affairs Officer of the Ministry of National Defense and one of the key suspects in the case, for questioning on the 26th. This comes three months after the PCC conducted a search and seizure of the Ministry of National Defense's prosecution team and investigation headquarters in January.
According to legal circles, the PCC's Investigation Division 4 (Chief Prosecutor Lee Dae-hwan) summoned Officer Yoo in the morning as a suspect to investigate whether he exerted external pressure on the investigation into Corporal Chae's death.
Officer Yoo is suspected of calling Colonel Park Jeong-hoon (then head of the Marine Corps investigation team) on August 1 last year and instructing him to downplay the investigation details related to Corporal Chae's death. Officer Yoo claims that he only explained that since the police have investigative authority, they should not specify charges to avoid prejudgment and should transfer the case. However, Colonel Park asserts that Officer Yoo exerted pressure by narrowing the scope of suspects, including those directly responsible for negligence.
Recently, it was revealed that Officer Yoo communicated with Lee Si-won, the Presidential Secretary for Public Service Discipline, during the process of transferring the Marine Corps investigation results to the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency, sparking controversy.
On this day, the PCC is expected to confirm with Officer Yoo what specific instructions he gave to Colonel Park, the reasons for and content of his communication with Secretary Lee.
As the PCC, which has been analyzing seized materials and investigating witnesses, begins full-scale suspect questioning, it is anticipated that summons and questioning of Park Gyeong-hoon, former acting head of the Ministry of National Defense investigation headquarters, will soon follow after Officer Yoo.
Former Acting Head Park is suspected of being involved in reviewing the investigation records retrieved from the police by the Ministry of National Defense prosecution team, announcing investigation results that reduced the number of suspects from eight to two, and re-transferring the case to the police.
Once the summons and questioning of these two individuals are completed, investigations into higher-ups involved in the allegations, including former Marine 1st Division Commander Lim Seong-geun, Marine Corps Commander Kim Gye-hwan, Ministry of National Defense prosecution team chief Kim Dong-hyeok, former Deputy Minister of National Defense Shin Beom-cheol, and former Minister Lee, are expected to proceed sequentially.
Meanwhile, separate from the PCC's investigation, the Democratic Party has expressed its determination to pass the 'Special Prosecutor Act for Corporal Chae' during the 21st National Assembly. The related bill was designated as a fast-track bill and was automatically submitted to the plenary session of the National Assembly on the 3rd. The Democratic Party is reportedly planning to handle it at the plenary session on the 2nd of next month.
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