Top prosecutor voices concern over bill to abolish prosecution's investigative powers
Acting Prosecutor General Koo Ja-hyeon, right, attends a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, June 2. Yonhap
Acting Prosecutor General Koo Ja-hyeon on Wednesday expressed deep concern about the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) move to push through a bill that would completely strip the prosecution of its direct and supplementary investigation powers.
Koo issued a statement saying he was deeply concerned about the direction of ongoing parliamentary discussions on amendments to the Criminal Procedure Act, including the proposed abolition of the prosecution's supplementary investigative authority.
The ruling party has vowed to abolish the prosecution's supplementary investigative authority, which is mainly intended to protect victims in criminal cases, as part of its broader policy to bar prosecutors from conducting direct investigations. The party, which holds a majority in the National Assembly, aims to pass the amendment bill at Thursday's plenary session.
"As confirmed in numerous recent cases, the truth will be concealed and the nation's criminal justice system will collapse if prosecutors lose their effective ability to inspect, supplement and correct investigations conducted by primary investigative agencies," Koo said in the statement.
"The resulting damage will be borne by the people who need the state's protection more than anyone else."
In particular, he said, many people believe a prosecutor's supplementary investigative power is necessary, while various sectors of society, including the legal community and women's and victims' groups, continue to express concern.
He then stressed that the reform should be pursued from the perspective of protecting people from crimes, rather than simply eliminating the prosecution's authority.