Grand National Party “Pursuing A Special Counsel Bill On the Campaign Slush Fund”

The Grand National Party (GNP) announced on December 9 that the current investigation on the use of slush funds from last year’s presidential election is unfair, and that the party is deliberating to submit a special counsel bill in order to reassess the investigation. The party also said that that the prosecution executives should be called to the Legislation & Judiciary Committee for spreading unconfirmed rumors concerning the GNP’s political fund.

GNP secretary general Lee Jae-oh demanded that “the prosecution stop the biased investigation” and also stated that “the prosecution is bloating the GNP’s campaign fund and downsizing the amount of political money of President Roh Moo-hyun’s party.” Lee further announced that the party is considering “submitting a special counsel to the congress in order to ensure a thorough investigation.”

Lee Kang-doo, the head of the GNP policy committee, also said during the party counsel that “the prosecution was aimed at destroying the opposite party and to obscure the Roh’s aide’s corruption scandal,” and that “after the investigation is over, the truth will have to be revealed through a special counsel.”

Spokesman of the GNP Park Jin said, “The prosecution’s investigation has lost both justice and impartiality” and that “Justice Minister Kang Geum-sil and prosecutor-general Song Gwang-soo should be held responsible, and the special counsel bill should be pursued if necessary.”

Myoung-Gun Lee gun43@donga.com