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Former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook, left, stands at a corner of a dining room of the official residence of the prime minister in Seoul, Monday, where she is accused of taking bribes from Kwak Young-wook (in wheelchair), the former Korea Express CEO, during a three-hour onsite crime scene reenactment conducted by the court. |
By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter
For the first time, a group of judges, prosecutors, lawyers and reporters set foot inside the official residence of the prime minister in Seoul for an on-site crime reenactment, Monday.
At the center of the case is Han Myeong-sook, who served as prime minister for one year starting March 2006 under liberal Roh Moo-hyun administration.
The 66-year-old female politician was indicted on charges of taking $50,000 in bribes in exchange for using her influence to help a businessman get a position at a state firm. Han is strongly denying the charges.
The prosecution claimed Han received two envelopes containing cash from Kwak Young-wook, the CEO of Korea Express, during a meeting in the dining room of the residence on Dec. 20, 2006.
Two other guests - Chairman Chung Sye-kyun of the opposition Democratic Party and then Construction and Transportation Minister Kang Dong-seok - were present, the prosecution said.
The investigation was conducted, despite opposition from the government, to reconstruct how Han and her three guests behaved in the dining room that night, and whether it was possible for Kwak to have handed over the envelopes to Han in the absence of the two other guests. Chung and Kang have insisted they saw no envelopes exchange hands.
Arriving at the house at around 1:45 p.m., Han and her lawyers were welcomed by residence officials.
"It's been a while since I last saw you," Han told the officials and then walked into the building. Looking around the entry and corridor, she told her lawyers, "There have only been a few changes."
Starting at 2 p.m. the reenactment continued for about three hours. Lawyers and prosecutors played out the scene on that night based on their own investigation results and tried to find fault with the other side's reconstruction.
Presiding Judge Kim Hyung-doo and two junior judges sporadically interrupted the procedure to ask some questions. They remained tight-lipped to a barrage of questions from reporters.
Han, who recently announced her bid to run for Seoul Mayor in the upcoming local elections, appears likely to get exonerated.
During questioning by the prosecution, Kwak testified, "I gave the envelopes to Han and she pocketed them." But he retracted his statement in a trial hearing, saying, "I just put the envelopes on a chair in the room and then left." He did not clearly remember whose chair it was and whether Han picked them up.
Recent testimony by a bodyguard has added more hope for Han.
The prosecution stipulated in its written request for trial that "Kwak gave the envelopes to Han after the two other guests left the room."
But a bodyguard who escorted Han during the dinner said last week, "When the dinner was over, the Prime Minister walked out of the room first and the guests followed. She was empty-handed. I don't think she had room to pocket the envelopes in secret at that time."
Prosecutors questioned the credibility of the testimony, claiming the bodyguard committed perjury at the request of Han's aides. They pledged to launch a separate investigation into the employee.
The case is drawing greater media attention than any other bribery cases involving high-profile politicians since local elections are just three months away.
Han is one of the strongest candidates from the largest opposition Democratic Party for Seoul Mayor. Given the political sensitivity of the case, the court will fast-track it and hand down a verdict by early April, analysts said.
If she is found guilty, it will deal her candidacy a major blow, forcing her to drop out of the race.
The prosecution is confident about its case but Han's lawyers and aides argue that she will be declared innocent. They claim the case is politically motivated and is one of several targeting key members of the previous liberal administration by the current conservative government.
pss@koreatimes.co.kr
총리공관 사상 첫 현장검증
월요일 서울에 있는 총리 관저에서 가진 사상 최초의 현장 검증을 위해 판사와 검사, 변호사 그리고 기자들이 발을 들여 놓았다.
이 사건의 한 복판에는 2006년 12월 관직 제공에 대한 대가로 5만 달러를 받은 혐의로 기소된 한명숙(66) 전 총리가 있는데, 한 전 총리는 이 혐의를 강력히 부인하고 있다.
검찰은 그 해 12월 20일 공관의 식당에서 점심을 하던 중 곽영욱 대한통운 당시 사장으로부터 현금이 든 봉투 두 개를 받았다고 주장했다.
검찰은 그 밖의 두 명의 방문객은 정세균 민주당 대표와 당시 건교부 장관이었던 강동석씨로, 현장에 참석했다고 말했다.
이날 현장검증은 한 전 총리와 3명의 방문자들이 오찬장에서 어떤 행동을 했으며 나머지 2명이 없는 사이 돈봉투를 건네는 게 가능했는지를 재구성하기 위해 정부의 반대에도 불구하고 이루어졌다. 정씨와 강씨는 한 전 총리에게 봉투가 건네지는 것을 보지 못했다고 주장했다.
오후 1시 45분에 관저에 도착하자마자 한 전 총리와 변호인단은 관저 공무원들의 영접을 받았다.
한 전 총리는 공무원들에게 ”오랜만입니다”라고 말을 건네고 건물 안으로 들어갔다. 오는 6월 2일 실시되는 지방선거에서 서울시장에 출마하기로 한 한 전 총리는 현재 무죄상태이다.
검찰 심문에서 곽씨는 “한씨에게 돈봉투를 주었으며 한전 총리는 호주머니에 넣었다”고 증언했었다.
그러나 그는 공판에서 “봉투를 방에 있는 의자에 놓고 나왔다”며 자신의 말을 뒤집었다. 그는 누구의 의자인지 한전총리가 챙겼는지 분명하게 기억해내지 못했다.
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무디스, 스페인·伊·포르투갈 신용등급 강등
