Civic Group: "Unjust Intervention in Presidential Election... Immediate Search and Seizure Needed"
Democratic Party Calls for Impeachment
A civic group has filed a complaint with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) against Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, who remanded the case of Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, for violating the Public Official Election Act.
On May 3, attorney Lee Jeil, co-chair of the Legal Committee of the Institute for Livelihood and Economy, announced that he had filed a complaint with the CIO against Chief Justice Cho on charges including abuse of authority and violation of the Public Official Election Act. The complaint was filed in the name of Seoul's Voice, the Association of Lawyers Prosecuting Prosecutors, and the Institute for Livelihood and Economy.
Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae is preparing for the Supreme Court trial in the appeal case regarding Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, for violating the Public Official Election Act on the afternoon of the 1st at the Supreme Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Joint Press Corps
Attorney Lee argued that there were problems with Chief Justice Cho's decision to refer the case to the Grand Bench and with the ruling process itself. He stated, "On April 22, the suspect suddenly referred the case to the Grand Bench ex officio, and only nine days after the referral, handed down a ruling that directly overturned the lower court's decision." He emphasized, "It is absolutely impossible to thoroughly review the case records, which amount to 60,000 to 70,000 pages, as well as the parties' arguments, or to ensure sufficient consensus among the justices within such a short period."
He also argued that the Supreme Court's decision to allow the trial to be broadcast live could constitute a violation of the Public Official Election Act. He pointed out that Chief Justice Cho's decision to broadcast the ruling live before the official election campaign period violated Article 255, Paragraph 2, Subparagraph 4 of the Act, which prohibits the use of loudspeakers for electioneering. He further claimed that this ruling "defamed the candidate and resulted in extremely serious consequences, including the possible deprivation of his eligibility to run for office."
He also stressed the need to verify whether fair procedures were followed, urging, "The Supreme Court should be immediately searched and seized to confirm whether the justices properly reviewed the trial records during the trial period."
Furthermore, he demanded, "In order for the judiciary, the last bastion of the rule of law, to restore its status and stand in its rightful place, an immediate investigation and arrest of the suspect should be carried out."
Within the Democratic Party, calls to impeach Chief Justice Cho over this ruling are intensifying. There are also increasing demands for the CIO to swiftly investigate Chief Justice Cho.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
