ED Long overdue probe
Police should verify capabilities by actions, not words
Police raided Seongnam City Hall on Monday over allegations that Lee Jae-myung, former presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, received donations from companies via the city's football club, Seongnam FC, while serving as the city's mayor. Bundang Police Station sent investigators to search five divisions of the municipal government.
Lee faces suspicions that he collected 16 billion won ($12.6 million) for Seongnam FC from major companies, including Doosan and Naver, between 2014 and 2016 in return for business favors such as building permits. He served as the mayor of Seongnam, the second-largest city in Gyeonggi Province, from 2010 through 2018.
The raid is the second of its kind facing the unsuccessful presidential candidate following one in early April when police raided the Gyeonggi Provincial Government offices over allegations that Lee's wife misused a corporate credit card while Lee was governor.
The full-blown investigation into the Seongnam FC-related irregularities is long overdue, considering that the police have been under fire for balking at investigating corruption cases committed during the Moon Jae-in administration. In fact, the police station decided not to refer the case to the prosecution for lack of evidence last September after having Lee undergo written questioning only. Upon a complaint from the accuser, the case was assigned to the Seongnam branch of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office one month later but has made little headway since. In this process, the branch head who is deemed pro-government, ignored several requests for a supplementary investigation from junior prosecutors.
As President Moon on Tuesday signed into law controversial bills stripping the prosecution of its major investigative authority, the police's powers will grow much bigger. However, it's questionable whether the police can live up to their greater responsibility. Senior police officers should humbly admit that the public's mistrust in them still runs deep and do whatever they can to win back trust and ensure political neutrality. It's time for the police to verify their capabilities by actions, not words.