By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
The pro-government United Democratic Party (UNDP) and the main opposition Grand National Party (GNP) agreed on a bill Thursday to appoint an independent counsel to investigate an alleged bribery scandal involving the Samsung Group.
The bill is to be submitted to a plenary National Assembly session today for final approval after a parliamentary subcommittee endorsement Thursday.
But President Roh Moo-hyun has indicated that he will veto the bill because independent counsel's remit will cover too broad an area.
Under the bill, the counsel will investigate the legality of Samsung's father-to-son wealth transfer, and allegations of the creation of a slush fund and bribery.
The GNP had also insisted that allegations President Roh took bribes from Samsung under the name of congratulatory money after winning the 2002 election should be investigated.
This is written into the agreed bill, but not included in targets for investigation, party sources said.
The counsel's main targets are the father-to-son wealth transfer through dubious stock trading and using a slush fund to give bribes before and after the 2002 election.
The conglomerate is said to have used bank accounts in third parties' names to hide the slush fund.
The counsel will be assisted by three lawyers recommended by the Korean Bar Association, three assistant prosecutors, three dispatched prosecutors and 50 public servants as the GNP insisted.
The team will have 20 days for preparation and 60 days for investigation, the sources said. They can extend the investigation by 45 days.
The probe will likely begin after the Dec. 19 presidential election, sources said.
Even if the Assembly endorses the bill, it cannot come into effect unless Roh signs off on it _ under the current law, the President can use his veto.
Cheong Wa Dae has insisted that it is inappropriate for the Assembly to look into the Samsung scandal because it would cover too broad an area and could take up to 200 days.
Besides, the Supreme Court is reviewing the case, presidential spokesman Cheon Ho-seon said.
The Seoul District Prosecutors' Office is also to start an investigation of the scandal with a special unit of its own.
The office has organized three teams, comprised of 15 prosecutors and 40 detectives, to investigate the allegations.
The prosecution said they plan to start the investigation next week.