Prosecution Launches Internal Special Investigation Team

The prosecution drew the “Special Investigation and Inquiry Headquarters” card on Thursday as a countermeasure against attempts by political groups to launch an independent counsel on the Samsung Group slush fund scandal.

However, the activities of the headquarters will either be suspended or dramatically reduced when an independent counsel is appointed. Some also express skepticism on the measure, claiming that no matter who leads the headquarters, the public will find it difficult to trust the outcomes of the prosecutors’ internal investigation into allegations against the public prosecutor general nominee.

The prosecution is under great pressure from the politicians’ pending introduction of an independence counsel. Although a special team from the Seoul District Prosecutors` Office has launched an investigation into the alleged Samsung slush funds, a sense of powerlessness will inevitably grow within the prosecution if an independence counsel is immediately appointed, as it has encountered a major stumbling block in the accuser’s refusal to cooperate with the investigation.

The prosecution is in a desperate situation. “The public will condemn the prosecution if it fails to take action when it is uncertain as to whether an independent counsel will be appointed, or, if it is appointed, when this will occur,” said a senior prosecutor at the Supreme Prosecutors` Office.

In other words, the prosecution must make the bold move of introducing the Special Investigation and Inquiry Headquarters, in order to show the public that it has done everything in its power until an independent council is appointed.

Another reason for the introduction of the special headquarters is that the people are likely to cast doubt on the results if the investigation is carried out by the current investigation team, given that Prosecutor General-nominee Lim Chai-jin and Lee Gwi-nam, head of the Central Investigation Department at the Supreme Prosecutors` Office, are directly linked to the allegation.

The accuser also welcomed the prosecution’s decision to launch the Special Investigation and Inquiry Headquarters. “Since the prosecution has accepted the demand of launching an independent investigation team, we will actively cooperate in the investigation once we confirm its willingness to investigate the case fairly,” said an official of the People` Solidarity for Participatory Democracy.

One remaining task is the selection of a person to lead the headquarters. Although the headquarters chief will be likely selected from the heads of the District Public Prosecutors` Offices who have passed the 20th or 21st bar exam, the prosecution is cautious of a possible clash since it hasn’t yet secured the entire list of the prosecutors alleged to have accepted bribes from Samsung Group.

“The prosecution has mobilized a number of processes through which to verify its candidates. We hope that lawyer Kim Yong-cheol will provide the full list to us,” said Kim Gyeong-su, PR Director at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office.

This is the third time that the prosecution has launched the Special Investigation and Inquiry Headquarters in order to investigate alleged irregularities in the conduct of prosecutors.

The prosecution formed the Special Investigation and Inquiry Headquarters in 2001 to probe the “Lee Yong-ho Gate” scandal, in which Lee was accused of involvement with senior prosecutors, such as Lim Hwi-yun, head of the Busan High Public Prosecutors` Office, Im Yang-un, deputy head of the Gwangju High Public Prosecutors` Office, and Lee Deok-seon, head of Gunsan District Prosecutors` Office.

The special investigation headquarters did not lodge interim reports as it only had to submit its final investigation reports to the minister of justice and the prosecutor general. Eventually, Lim and Im tendered their resignations and Lee was acquitted of the charges of abusing authorities.

Prior to this, the special investigation headquarters was led by the Seoul District Prosecutors` Office in 1999 to investigate the “Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation Strike Inducement Case,” in which Jin Hyeong-gu, head of the prosecution`s public security bureau, was allegedly involved. The heads of the prosecution, including the public prosecutor general and the chief of the Seoul District Prosecutors` Office, were barred from receiving any interim reports about the investigation.

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