Special probe needed for corruption cases involving prosecutors

The Supreme Public Prosecutors’ Office has decided to appoint an ad hoc special independent prosecutor to investigate "suspicious circumstances surrounding massive stock profit" earned by senor prosecutor Jin Kyung-joon. The independent prosecutor will be the fourth of its kind in Korea, which reflects the prosecution’s intention to sternly and thoroughly investigate suspicions surrounding the case. The move is being taken as a desperate countermeasure to the shameful reality facing the prosecution due to a flurry of corruption scandals involving former and incumbent senior prosecutors.

A special independent prosecutor was introduced in the wake of controversy over the so-called "sponsored prosecutors" in 2010. A special prosecutor is appointed by the prosecutor general when the prosecution must investigate corruptions committed by an incumbent prosecutor in a neutral fashion. To ensure independence and neutrality of probe, the special prosecutor is not supervised by anyone, and only reports the outcome of investigation to the prosecutor general. The first special prosecutor investigated a "Grandeur prosecutor," who peddled influence after receiving valuables worth 46 million won (39,500 U.S. dollars), including the Grandeur (Azera) full-size sedan.

Senior prosecutor Jin pocketed 12.6 billion won (10.8 million dollars) as net earnings by buying 10,000 unlisted shares of Nexon in 2010 and selling them this year. The presidential secretary for political affairs and the Justice Ministry had taken a passive stance initially by saying, "It was merely a case of stock transaction between individuals," but most of the truth behind the case has been revealed now. It is confirmed that the fund Jin used to purchase the shares came from Nexon. The special prosecutor must determine whether Jin requested his staff prosecutor to give favor for Nexon when the company was indicted for leaking personal information in 2011. The belated appointment of a special independent prosecutor for the case seems to be a rather "showy measure."

Rather than this case, corruption involving lawyer Hong Man-pyo, who received special privileges in legal cases as an ex-prosecutor, is an ideal case for a probe by a special independent prosecutor. Originally, the Supreme Public Prosecutors’ Office seriously considered naming a special prosecutor to investigate the case, only to shelve the plan in the end. If the prosecution chose not to appoint a special prosecutor just because the opposition parties controlling majority seats will appoint an independent council anyway, prosecutors are truly hopeless and pitiful.

Signs of special privileges granted through an incumbent prosecutor are behind the fact Hong managed to secure acquittal twice for his client, Chung Un-ho, former CEO of Nature Republic who had been indicted for illegal gambling overseas, and that the former prosecutor acquired lawsuit cases worth more than 10 billion won (8.6 million dollars) for one year. The prosecution should immediately name a special independent prosecutor to investigate all the cases that Hong accepted, and bring to light all the suspicions surrounding how he secured acquittals for his clients.

최영훈 tao4@donga.com