Summons of Tax Chief
Tougher Action Needed to Fight Corruption
The nation's tax office chief was summoned for questioning over bribe-taking allegations Thursday. This marked the first time that an incumbent tax administrator has been called in for investigation in relation to a high profile corruption scandal. Jeon Goon-pyo, the commissioner of the National Tax Service (NTS), appeared at the district prosecutors' office in Busan. The summons came just two days after a close aide to President Roh Moo-hyun was indicted on charges of influence peddling for a disgraced female art professor who fabricated her academic credentials.
Prosecutors are investigating the case of Chung Sang-gon, the former head of the Busan Regional Tax Office, who allegedly received 100 million won in bribes from the owner of a construction firm based in the southeastern port city. Amid this, Jeon has faced allegations that he took about 60 million won in bribes from Chung who was arrested on graft charges in August. The public was shocked by Chung's claim that he gave 50 million won and $10,000 to Jeon in return for a promotion late last year.
Jeon flatly denied the bribery allegations. But prosecutors are confident that they can prove the tax chief accepted the bribes from Chung. Sources close to the prosecutors' office said it would soon decide whether to request an arrest warrant for Jeon. They said prosecutors have secured evidence showing that Jeon was deeply involved in the corruption case. We call on the prosecution to conduct a thorough investigation into the scandal to confirm the allegations implicating Jeon.
What's more shocking is that Jeon allegedly attempted to cover up his involvement in the case. The prosecution claimed that he asked Lee Byeong-dae, the current head of the Busan tax office, to meet Chung and pressure him not to testify about the money offering. In short, the top tax official may face two criminal charges _ bribery and an attempted cover-up. If he were discovered to have committed one or both of the crimes, the Roh government would be dealt a severe blow. Roh's ``Mr. Clean'' image would be severely tarnished, and his reform policies could run aground.
The scandal shows how hard it is for a reform-minded President to wage a war on corruption and usher in a clean government and a transparent society. Roh has apparently realized that he alone cannot win the anticorruption campaign. Much to his dismay, Byeon Yang-kyoon, a former senior presidential secretary for policy planning, was indicted Tuesday for influence peddling for Shin Jeong-ah. Shin, an assistant art professor at Dongguk University, was sacked over a bogus degree scandal in July. She was also indicted on several criminal charges along with Byeon, who was in a romantic relationship with her.
The results of an investigation showed Byeon diverted state funds to protect Shin. He also pressured businesses and banks to donate money to her to sponsor art exhibitions she organized. However, the prosecution has so far failed to confirm allegations that higher-ranking officials and politicians were involved in the case. It is regrettable that the investigation could not dispel many lingering public suspicions about the scandal.
Without the firm establishment of the rule of law, South Korea cannot achieve true democracy. It is imperative for the government and law enforcement agencies to take revolutionary measures to eliminate rampant corruption and move toward a clean and transparent society.