Rolled-over Scandals Be Solved This Year

Last year, the 16th presidential election took place. The year of 2000, however, was also riddled with numerous scandals. The DA`s investigation of those scandals, however, has been "rolled over" to this year.

The Seoul District Prosecutors` Office has investigated the "Kim Bong-rim" scandal, named after Rep. Kim Bong-rim of Millennium Democratic Party accused of taking bribes. The office made some progress up to the point it filed a request with Congress for arrest of Kim. Thereafter, it fizzled off for this or that excuse, and finally has got rolled over.

It is the same with various political scandals that had popped up before the presidential election. The prosecution, citing political reasons in the face of the election, has put its probes on hold. No one, however, knows when they are to be finished up. Last year, the prosecution just summoned witnesses in cases such as the military-evasion scandal involving the son of Lee Hui-chang, the former presidential candidate of Grand National Party, the National Intelligence Service` wiretapping scandal and the Industrial Bank`s 490 billion loan scandal. Those cases, however, will take a long time to be solved.

Kim Dae-up, who first alleged the military-evasion scandal, was and is charged with defamation. But, with Kim on the run, the prosecution is not making any progress. Progress is not likely to be made in the criminal cases filed against Rep. Lee Hae-chan involving the evasion scandal.

The core of the loan scandal lies in finding out where the loan was spent. That way, it can be figure out whether the loan was secretly given to North Korea. The DA`s office, however, is sitting on its hands and doing nothing to track down the relevant bank transactions. As to the wiretapping scandal, it is crucial to verify whether the intelligence agency really conducted illegal wiretapping. The prosecution, however, is doing nothing, citing "practical difficulties."

Cases filed for campaigning purposes have been withdrawn by both parties. Thus, there seems no problem posed for their solutions.

On the other hand, the prosecution is dying to solve some criminal cases. Two murder cases involving the Pahjoo Sports family, prosecution of which was smeared with torture and ended the career of Justice Minister and Attorney General, are likely to fall into abyss and to remain unsolved. After taking an all-out war on the gang, the prosecution has secured the custody of the gang head. It, however, has not secured any statement or evidence.

In some cases, key suspects or material witnesses have fled to other countries. The "Lee Yong-ho" scandal, which has finally landed in the Highest Office of Prosecutors after drifting through various offices, is not likely to be solved at all. A key suspect in the illegal lobbying case has sneaked out of country, and is staying overseas. The same happened to the "Chung Hyun-joon" scandal. A key suspect Oh Ki-jun, who is accused of bribing politicians, left this country in 2000 and has not returned yet. The crucial figure in the Daewoo Window-dressing scandal, former Chairman Kim Woo-jung has publicly announced that he would not come back on a voluntary basis.

The prosecution started to work on the "Tax Scandal" four years ago, where tax officials were mobilized to raise illegal campaign fund for 1997 presidential election. Lee Suk-hee, the former high-ranking official, has fled to the United States and filed a lawsuit to deter his deportation, leaving the case unsolved. Also rolled over is the longest case that had arisen out of a dispute over elements of communism in a novel. It was first filed in April of 1994.

Wi-Yong Jung viyonz@donga.com