Assembly speaker indicted over bribery

By Kim Rahn

Prosecutors have indicted National Assembly Speaker Park Hee-tae without physical detention for his involvement in a vote-buying scandal during the ruling party’s 2008 leadership race.

It is the first time for an incumbent speaker to be indicted. Former Assembly Speaker Kim Soo-han was cleared of suspicion after being questioned on corruption by the prosecution.

They also indicted Kim Hyo-jae, a former senior presidential secretary for political affairs and Park’s key campaigner at the time, without detention on the same charge.

But opposition parties and civic groups denounced the “lenient decisions” on the high-profile figures, saying prosecutors failed to uncover the real masterminds during their 47-day investigation.

Prosecutors said Park, 74, was engaged in offering 3 million won ($2,670) to fellow lawmaker Koh Seung-duk before the chairmanship race.

“We decided he knew about his campaigners’ money offering and connived with them, and they later reported back to him,” a prosecutor at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office said.

“We didn’t secure testimony or evidence that Park himself ordered the money offering. But the money came from his personal bank accounts and his campaigners worked systematically to deliver money,” he said.

During Sunday’s questioning, Park said he gave money to his campaigners but didn’t know how they spent it.

Regarding Kim, prosecutors said the 60-year-old ordered other campaigners to give money to Rep. Koh.

Koh testified that after he returned the 3 million won to Park’s former secretary Ko Myeong-jin, Kim called him and asked why he did so.

Under the relevant law, those offering money or entertainment to eligible voters to become political party leaders are subject to three years in prison or a 6 million won fine.

“Under the circumstances, Park and Kim played active roles in the money offering. But we decided not to arrest them because we didn’t secure direct evidence; and the two stepped down or will soon step down from their posts,” the prosecutor said.

But the prosecution didn’t charge them for their alleged involvement in another attempt to bribe the party’s non-parliamentary members.

An Byung-yong, chief of the party’s main chapter in Seoul, allegedly gave 20 million won to his subordinates and ordered them to deliver it to officials in other chapters. One of the subordinates testified An brought the 20 million won from one of Park’s camp offices which Kim used. An was arrested earlier.

“We confirmed that the 3 million won offered to Koh was from Park. But for the 20 million won, all involved figures claimed such a thing didn’t happen and we didn’t secure evidence to prove it,” he said.

The prosecutor said they couldn’t confirm whether other lawmakers also received money from Park. “No one will confess because they face punishment as well. Tracing money flow in bank accounts was also impossible as the money may have been given in cash.”

Cho Jung-man, Park’s chief policy secretary, was also indicted without detention for helping the camp prepare money for bribes.

Opposition parties criticized the probe result, saying the investigation fizzled out. They said not detaining Park is unfair for An who has already been arrested. They said the prosecution didn’t find out whether Park’s camp delivered money to lawmakers other than Koh, which they claimed is highly likely.

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