Posted August. 21, 2002 22:46,
A rumor popped up today, stirring a huge sensation regarding the Military Scandal. The rumor has it that the Prosecution asked a Millennium Democratic Partys (MDP) Congressman to make an issue of the suspicion regarding evasion of military service by sons of Grand National Partys (GNP) presidential candidate Lee Hui-chang so that the Prosecutors Office could launch an investigation into the matter.
MDPs Congressman Lee Hae-chan said, in his August 21st meeting with reporters, I heard that the Prosecutions investigation team got to secure statements in the process of questioning Kim Kil-boo for the corruption charge against him, the former head of Military Manpower Administration (MMA). The statements were concerning the exemption of candidate Lees sons and the Office determined the statements worth investigating. The Prosecutors Office could not launch a probe only with circumstantial evidence. That is why the Office asked me to first raise the issue in the congressional hearing.
Rep. Lee added, The Office had three items of circumstantial evidence regarding the alleged military evasion. But when we conducted investigation, one of them was not true so that I did not mention it during the congressional hearing.
In response, GNPs Congressman Hong Joon-pyo, chairman of the 1st political committee within the GNP, requested for the immediate firing of Chief Prosecutor Park, saying, Rep. Lees remarks themselves definitively prove that Chief Prosecutor Park Young-kwan of Special Unit 1 was attached to politicians.
Congressman Lee Jae-oh, chairman of GNPs investigating board regarding Kim Dae-ups allegations, criticized, What we [GNP] have argued so has been being known true. We have argued that MDPs politicians manipulated the truth. As shown through the report made by Rep. Chun Yong-taek, the MDP and the Prosecution cut a secret deal to push ahead with the manipulation. That is what Rep. Lee has confessed.
Congressman Lee Haw-chan explained that the three circumstantial evidences refer to the botched-up medical records on candidate Lees first son Chung-hyun; a meeting held to cover up the military evasion (during the 97 presidential election); and Former MMPs head Kims silence ever since he met with his counsel Mr. Choi, who is also a son-in-law of candidate Lee. But, later, it transpired that the attorney who met with Mr. Kim was not the son-in-law of candidate Lee, but another lawyer having a similar name. Thus, he did not mention this matter in Congress.
Rep. Lee issued a statement right after his remarks at the conference and said, In preparing for the March Congressional Hearing, I got to obtain the information regarding candidate Lees sons military evasion. But some parts of it were true and others not. Thus, I did not make any questions due to the lack of the informations credibility.
In the meanwhile, Chief Prosecutor Park strongly denied his involvement by saying, I have never met with Congressman Lee. I have not even talked with him over the phone, either. I dont understand why he made such remarks.