National Assembly speaker faces indictment

By Na Jeong-ju

The prosecution plans to indict National Assembly Speaker Rep. Park Hee-tae as early as this week without physical detention for his involvement in bribing lawmakers during the ruling party’s 2008 leadership race.

Park, a former prosecutor, was grilled for 16 hours at his residence in Seoul, Sunday, over allegations that he offered cash to fellow lawmakers while he was contending for the chairmanship of the Grand National Party (GNP) as a party legislator. The GNP changed its name to the Saenuri Party this month.

He denied his involvement during questioning, prosecutors said.

“Park told investigators that he neither knew about the bribery scheme nor instructed any of his campaigners to provide money to lawmakers,” a prosecutor told reporters. “However, evidence and testimony we’ve obtained through recent interrogations of his campaigners indicate that he is lying. We will bring charges against him soon.”

The prosecutor said Park may be indicted this week or next, just before the prosecution unveils the result of the investigation into the cash-for-votes scandal.

The prosecution also plans to prosecute former presidential secretary for political affairs Kim Hyo-jae, who worked as the chief campaign manager for Park during the 2008 election.

Park’s campaigners told detectives that they handed out a bunch of envelopes containing cash to lawmakers and eligible voters during the leadership race after receiving them from Kim.

Some opposition members questioned the fairness of the inquiry, saying the prosecution’s decision to question Park at his residence instead of issuing a summons wasn’t understandable.

“We still vividly remember that the prosecution humiliated the late former President Roh Moo-hyun by summoning him in early 2008 for an investigation into a bribery case,” said Noh Sik-rae, a Democratic United Party (DUP) contender in the April general election.

“The prosecution says it questioned Park at his residence to show respect to the incumbent parliamentary speaker. We don’t understand why it didn’t show respect to the former President.”

Park, a six-term lawmaker and a close aide to President Lee Myung-bak, ultimately won the 2008 election and remained as GNP chairman until September 2010. He dropped his party affiliation afterwards to become the National Assembly speaker.

He has denied his involvement, but tendered his resignation to the National Assembly on Feb. 9 to take “moral responsibility.” The Assembly must hold a general meeting to accept his resignation, but rival parties have not convened yet as they are at odds over overhauling regional electorates ahead of the general election.