The Constitutional Court to Discuss Appropriateness of the Impeachment Causes

The Constitutional Court discussed whether it would accept the chief prosecutor’s request for evidence taking during its third general conference on the presidential impeachment on April 8.

The court members changed their opinions on legal procedures such as the next hearing date after the third open hearing scheduled on April 9 and whether the three causes for the presidential impeachment, the violation of the election law, the close aides’ irrationalities, and state affairs breaking were appropriate.

The court will make public the extent of the acceptance of the evidence taking during the open hearing on April 9 after making a provisional decision on April 8 under the principle of a closed-door general conference.

The prosecutors requested a direct examination on President Roh and the examination of witness on 29 people, including close aide Choi Do-sul, Roh’s former secretary of general affairs, and the National Election Commission official during the second hearing on April 2. Also, he requested the Cheong Wa Dae visitors’ list and extensive reference and verification for the investigation and trial documents on close aides’ irrationalities and demanded the court to make the prosecutor and independent counsel team submit related documents. However, President Roh’s attorneys submitted a statement indicating the injustice of the extensive evidence taking on April 7 saying, “Investigation of evidences and facts during the court procedures is unreasonable because it had to be done while voting for the impeachment bill.”

Sang-Rok Lee myzodan@donga.com