GNP Seeks to Protect Lee Myung-bak at National Assembly
By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
The main opposition Grand National Party (GNP) Tuesday submitted to the National Assembly a motion calling for a parliamentary probe into the government agencies' alleged secret investigations of the party's presidential nominee.
The party insisted that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and the National Tax Service (NTS) investigated possible illegal financial gains of Lee Myung-bak and his families last August and September.
The political intervention of the two agencies was aimed at injuring popular nominee Lee, who topped a survey of the Chosun Ilbo newspaper last Saturday with 54.5 percent of support, GNP floor leader Rep. Ahn Sang-soo claimed.
The conservative party urged the Assembly to organize an ad hoc committee of 25 members to make clear what the agencies secretly investigated.
The GNP also asked whether or not the Ministry of Construction and Transportation was involved in fabricating a report on Lee's flagship campaign pledge, dubbed ``grand waterway project.''
Lee presented the inland canal project to connect southern and northern rivers for economic development.
But the ministry claimed in June that the project had low profitability, citing a report issued by three state-run organizations including the Korea Water Resources Corporation.
The GNP suggested that the ministry manipulated the report to corner Lee who gained about 40 percent of support in most surveys at that time.
The party also insisted that the parliamentary committee should come clean on rumors that officials related to the secret investigations and the fabricated report were promoted.
Lee's camp has insisted that Cheong Wa Dae instructed the government agencies from behind the scenes to secretly investigate Lee and his family.
Cheong Wa Dae dismissed the allegation, saying no political maneuver was involved. It filed a libel suit last Wednesday against Lee and three officials from his presidential camp.
Rep. Ahn criticized the presidential office calling the lawsuit a ``comedy'' and a clear intervention in campaigns for the presidential election.
Lee, 65, who served as Seoul mayor and CEO of Hyundai Engineering and Construction, faced several scandals after opening his bid for presidency.
He allegedly bought land in Dogok-dong, southern Seoul, using the name of a third party.
Lee is also suspected of being involved in manipulating the stock price of optional ventures by using bank accounts at LK e-bank and BBK, a financial firm and an investment consulting firm, which he established with others in 2000.
The former Seoul mayor was accused of allegedly changing his residency registration on multiple occasions for real estate speculation.