Daily Battles on `Unfair Probe of the Prosecution`

As the presidential candidate of the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) Roh Moo-Hyun raised the issue of the unfairness of the prosecution investigation for the second day in row, mentioning `Tax Wind incident` and `Embezzlement of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) budget`, the Grand National Party (GNP) also demanded the prosecution to investigate into candidate Roh.

Candidate Roh and the offence of MDP: Candidate Roh, visiting Busan, reiterated his demand for active prosecution investigation into the GNP related cases during a press conference in the day saying, “The prosecution could have done better job in the investigations of tax scandals or NIS budget embezzlement if there was no resistance in the opposition party, and that gives impressions that the prosecution has not done full investigations.”

He added, “As a society is farther from reason, a loud voiced person plays king, and the prosecution seems to pulled around by a loud voice,” and “Even though a voice is quiet, fair investigation should be applied.”

Supreme council member Chung Dae-Cheol claimed during a meeting of the supreme council members, “The prosecution is not implementing fair and just investigation into the opposition party related cases such as Tax Scandal, Gun Scandal, or NIS budget cases.” MDP spokesperson Chung Beom-Gu wryly commented, “Is candidate Lee Hoi-Chang a new sanctuary?”

In contrast to that, GNP chairman Suh Chung-Won said in a meeting of the major party officials, “What the MDP claims is the cases that our party demanded uprightly to investigate.” He also said, “It is sad and pitiful to see a person who likes to be a president to ask for an investigation on the candidate of the other party.”

GNP spokesperson, Nam Kyung-Pil, urged candidate Roh to cancel his remarks, saying in a briefing that the Tax Scandal and NIS budget incidents were “planned investigations” by the prosecution to wither away the opposition party in the early years of the regime. At that time, the prosecution completely searched the opposition party`s accounts, even including a bank note of one hundred thousand Won used by a female employee.

Counter attack of GNP: GNP spokespersons group replied, “The excuse that the advisory lawyer fee of seven million Won is all the income of candidate Roh is like blocking the sky with a hand,” and urged to “disclose the details of the lawyer`s fee submitted to a regional chapter of lawyers.” Additionally, GNP attacked, “Candidate Roh is a false common citizen that can never represent common citizens. “

Candidate Roh ignored the criticism saying, “The companies that gave me an advisory lawyer fee are all legal entities and for that reason all are reported to, and the GNP is talking without knowing anything.”

GNP chairman Suh Chung-Won urged again, following the yesterday’s remark, to investigate President Kim Dae-Jung. He claimed, “President Kim linked CEO of Future City Environment Choi Kyu-Sun to his son and proceeded the project of the sports lottery business, and Mr. Choi had gone overseas with a private letter of the president.” He also claimed, “All the seed of these incidents were provided by the president.”

However, MDP deputy spokesperson Kim Hyun-Mi commented, “Candidate Lee Hoi-Chang himself received assistance in his visit to the United States by Mr. Choi,” and countered, “The demand of Chairman Suh is intended to drag the president into the political quagmire to stir `Anti-DJ sentiment`, and Suh cares nothing about state affairs.”

In addition, MDP deputy spokesperson Lee Myung-Sik also said, “Chairman Suh had been allegedly involved in Suseo irregularities and the Hanbo incident during the past administrations, received 430 million Won`s worth of NIS budget in the 15th general election, and was further involved in Yoon Tae-Sik gate.” He challenged him to “undergo the prosecution investigation first from the scandals he was involved in, as he is not in a position to raise his voice on irregularities.”

Yeon-Wook Jung Yong-Gwan Jung jyw11@donga.com yongari@donga.com