‘Doichi Non-Prosecution’ Three Prosecutors Face Opposition Party Impeachment Push
Prosecutors Strongly Criticize “Abuse of Impeachment Rights”
Two Rejections of Timef Warrant Requests “Hard to Accept”
The Supreme Prosecutors' Office Investigation Deliberation Committee recommended the prosecution to indict Pastor Choi Jae-young, who gave luxury bags and other items to First Lady Kim Keon-hee, on charges of violating the Anti-Graft Act. On the 25th, employees were moving at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-dong, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@
On the 21st, the prosecution criticized the Democratic Party of Korea's plan to report the impeachment motion against Lee Chang-soo, the current Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, and two other sitting prosecutors to the National Assembly plenary session on the 28th, stating, "If impeachment is pursued just because the conclusion of a public official's work is unsatisfactory, prosecutors will not be able to carry out their duties with conviction according to the law and principles," and added, "This is a clear national loss."
A representative from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office told reporters in the afternoon, "There is no reason for impeachment at all, and pushing for impeachment of the responsible prosecutors just because the conclusion is unsatisfactory violates procedural legality," making such remarks. Earlier, the Democratic Party decided to report the impeachment motion against three prosecutors?Chief Prosecutor Lee, Deputy Chief Prosecutor Cho Sang-won, and Head of the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 2 Choi Jae-hoon?who decided not to prosecute Kim Gun-hee, wife of President Yoon Seok-yeol, on charges of stock manipulation related to Deutsche Motors, to the National Assembly plenary session on the 28th. This marks the seventh prosecutor impeachment in the 22nd National Assembly.
The prosecution official said, "The impeachment attempts against prosecutors Ahn Dong-wan and Lee Jung-seop have already been dismissed. Chief Prosecutor Lee and Deputy Chief Prosecutor Cho investigated the Baekhyeon-dong and Public Official Election Act violation cases involving Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung," adding, "If they are suspended from duty, it will be difficult to properly respond to the second trial and appeal hearings of the Public Official Election Act case, and it will inevitably cause significant obstacles to maintaining the prosecution in the first trial where a guilty verdict was rendered."
They also criticized the impeachment of prosecutors as violating the separation of powers. The official emphasized, "Ongoing investigations will stop due to the absence of leadership," and said, "Although the National Assembly has legislative power and the right to propose impeachment, ignoring and interfering in judicial procedures is a judgment that violates the principle of separation of powers."
A rally demanding the disbandment of the political prosecution is being held near the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the 15th, the day of the first trial sentencing hearing for Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act. Photo by Jo Yong-jun
Furthermore, regarding the Deutsche Motors case, the official stated, "The investigation team reached a consensus and concluded the case after four and a half years without a conclusion," adding, "Even though there are appeal procedures ongoing, and despite the protection of status under the Prosecutors' Office Act, if prosecutors are impeached just for investigating a case, which prosecutor would conduct investigations with conviction? Impeaching and suspending the Chief Prosecutor, Deputy Chief Prosecutor, and the relevant division head is effectively paralyzing the prosecution."
Regarding the large-scale unsettled payment incident involving TMON and WEMAKEPRICE and the twice-dismissed arrest warrants for CEO Koo Young-bae of Qoo10 and other executives, the prosecution expressed that it was "hard to accept." The official explained, "There have been 115 complaints filed with the Prosecutors' Office alone, and earlier this year, TMON asked sellers to supply goods at a 5% loss, resulting in sales exceeding 10 billion KRW, but in reality, they received no payment, and some sellers filed for rehabilitation in September." The prosecution plans to indict CEO Koo and others without detention after completing supplementary investigations.
Regarding the 'first bribery' lawmakers accused of receiving envelopes of money from former lawmaker Yoon Kwan-seok ahead of the 2021 Democratic Party leadership election, the prosecution official said, "We do not intend to request their attendance any further," and added, "We are carefully reviewing whether to find a way to guarantee their attendance or to make a final decision without investigation."
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