Police cry foul in corruption probe

By Na Jeong-ju

The prosecution’s probe into a corruption scandal involving a senior prosecutor is triggering uproar among police officers.

Some officers have posted parodies and satirical videos on the Internet, criticizing the prosecution for blocking the police’s move to investigate corrupt prosecutors.

“As prosecutors investigate corrupt officers, police officers should be given rights to investigate corrupt prosecutors,” said Chung Seung-hyuk from the Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency.

Chung is among several police officers who have publicly denounced the prosecution for “stealing” the case from the police.

The police first began an investigation into the allegations that Kim Kwang-joon, a senior prosecutor from the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office, accepted bribes from Eugene Group and Cho Hee-pal, a notorious conman. After it was made public, the prosecution launched its own investigation team, led by prosecutor Kim Soo-chang, while pressuring the police to give up their investigation.

Police protested the move, claiming that it is an attempt to obstruct their probe and cover up the case.

On Saturday, more than 100 police officers gathered in Sejong City to call for “fair” relations between the prosecution and the police.

“Under the current law, police officers should get permission from prosecutors to investigate criminal cases. What if prosecutors are involved in corruption cases?” an officer said.

The participants insisted that the police should be allowed to investigate corruption cases involving prosecutors, not by the prosecution itself, to ensure fair investigations.

Last week, the prosecution team requested an arrest warrant for prosecutor Kim. The prosecution rejected the National Police Agency’s request to issue a warrant to search Kim’s bank accounts.

The two law enforcement agencies have been feuding for a long time over investigation rights. The police have demanded the right to conduct probes independently without supervision by prosecutors, while the prosecution has taken measures to strengthen its supervisory role.

The prosecution has often been criticized for conducting biased investigations on politically sensitive cases under the Lee Myung-bak administration.