Bogus Farmers Face Legal Punishment
By Na Jeong-ju, Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporters
Prime Minister Han Seung-soo expressed deep regret Friday over the rice subsidy scandal, saying the administration will investigate all public officials and their family members and punish those fraudulently taking subsidies.
``It is deeply regrettable that a considerable part of the subsidies, aimed at supporting rice growers, were given to ineligible people,'' Han said in a statement. ``We will sort out violators and impose fines on them. Such a fraud should not take place again.''
He also pledged to fix the flawed system to help actual rice farmers, not landowners, enjoy the benefits.
Han's expression came after Minister of Government Legislation Lee Seog-yeon said lawmakers and government officials who pocketed rice subsidies meant for farmers could face criminal prosecution for fraud.
``While there is no mention of legal punishment in the Rice Subsidy Law, it is obviously illegal if non-farmers applied for the subsidy as it involved document forgery, interfered in government affairs and violated the Agricultural Land Law,'' Lee said Friday during a National Assembly audit.
The Ministry of Public Administration and Security said an internal investigation of 7,578 government officials and their family members showed so far that seven had received subsidies illegally, but the number will rise as it widens its probe.
Prosecutors plan to question Vice Health Minister Lee Bong-hwa and other government officials who illegally raked in the subsidies after the government completes its investigation.
``There are thousands of bogus farmers who allegedly received subsidies. We will look into individual cases and deal with all of them once the government's internal investigation is completed,'' a prosecutor said.