Criticism follows release of results into probe on civilian surveillance

The results of a re-investigation on the Prime Minister Office`s alleged illegal surveillance of civilians released Wednesday can be summed up as follows: supervision by Park Young-joon, former vice minister of the office, and the destruction of evidence under orders from presidential employment and labor secretary Lee Young-ho.

Prosecutor Song Chan-yeop at the Supreme Prosecutors` Office said, "We confirmed that Lee and Park were reported 260 and 40 times, respectively, meaning they were deeply involved with the incident."

○ Criticism of `poor investigation`

Prosecutors failed to come up with visible results on the involvement of the presidential civil affairs office, which had been at the center of the probe over the past three months. At issue was if the office ordered Prime Minister`s Office staff, including former planning director Jin Gyeong-rak and official Jang Jin-soo, to destroy evidence. Jang and Jin had claimed that the office was involved.

But Choi Jong-seok, administrative official at the employment and labor secretariat, retracted his statement after being arrested that the office was involved. He said that he told Chang of the intervention just to calm him down.

"I told Jin that Lee Young-ho ordered to throw (the PC hard disk) into the sea for 30 minutes and to damage it with batteries. But I said so by assuming it after seeing Lee meet officials of the civil affairs secretariat," Choi said.

A prosecutor said, "We investigated incumbent and former officials at the civil affairs office, but could find no testimony and evidence against Park and Lee."

Prosecutors, however, failed to summon Jeong Dong-ki, an attorney at Barun Law who was once civil affairs secretary. They got a written statement from Justice Minister Kwon Jae-jin without sending a written questionnaire.

Opposition parties including the major Democratic United Party criticized prosecutors for lack of will to investigate.

○ No punishment of hush money

Chang was paid a combined 159 million won (136,320 U.S. dollars) for destruction of evidence. In the initial investigation, he was found to have sent 29.95 million won (25,686 dollars) to people involved in destruction of evidence as lawyer cost on July 6, 2010, a day ahead of the search and seizure warrant on the Prime Minister`s Office. In late August 2010, he got another 40 million won (34,305 dollars) as lawyer fees from Employment and Labor Ministry policy aide Lee Dong-gul, and 50 million won (42,881 dollars) in April last year from former Prime Minister`s Office staff member Ryu Choong-ryul.

Jin and Jang were also offered jobs as confirmed. Prosecutors said these activities were services after the destruction of evidence was committed. Therefore, they could be punished for improper behavior but not for crimes as interference in execution of official duties.

○ Illegal surveillance under Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun administrations

Prosecutors cited 37 cases of civilian surveillance under previous administrations. They obtained 23 documents and intelligence on politicians under the Roh Moo-hyun administration, as well as data on private construction companies. They confirmed this by probing a former person in charge.

The Prime Minister`s Office reported to the presidential office surveillance of one lawmaker and 17 ruling and opposition party members from 2000 to 2007. Five civilians, including the head of the now-defunct Seoul Bank, were included in the list.

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