President Roh Moo-hyun is under criticism for his plan to grant a special pardon to more than 100 convicted politicians, businessmen and others by the year-end. It may not be appropriate to comment on the plan as the presidential office is still in the process of selecting amnesty beneficiaries. However, we cannot but express concerns that Roh might abuse his right to clemency.
According to media reports, some close aides to Roh, who were convicted on corruption charges, might be included on the amnesty list. Sources said Cheong Wa Dae is considering pardoning Roh's financier Moon Byung-wook, chairman of the scandal-hit Sun & Moon group. Moon was sentenced to a suspended three-year term in 2005 for offering 130 million won in illegal funding to Roh's secretary, evading 1 billion won in taxes and embezzling 1.3 billion won in company funds.
The presidential office is also reportedly seeking to reinstate the civil rights of Choi Do-sul, a former presidential secretary. Choi served 18 months after being convicted of taking 2.2 billion won in illegal political funds and pocketing 540 million won of Roh's campaign funds. It is not certain that the two convicted confidants of Roh will be cleared of their criminal tags.
But, how dare the presidential office pardon such convicted criminals or reinstate their civil rights only because they are Roh's henchmen. President Roh had better give up such an attempt to save his disgraced aides. He has already been slammed for exercising his amnesty right on eight occasions to pardon several of his law-breaking confidants, who were involved in bribery and illegal fund scandals.
It would be deplorable if Roh tries again to pardon his convicted aides or restore their civil rights only two months before his tenure expires. Any president can easily succumb to temptation to come to the rescue of troubled loyalists, especially at the end of his term. He should no longer abuse or misuse amnesty as it is feared to trample on the justice system and the rule of law.
Also worrisome is that Roh might pardon convicted business tycoons, including now-defunct Daewoo Group Chairman Kim Woo-choong and Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn. The Daewoo founder was convicted of masterminding the country's largest accounting fraud and embezzlement case. The Hanwha CEO was given a suspended prison term for his eye-for-an-eye revenge attack on bar employees who fought with his son.
Presidential amnesty is not for those entrepreneurs who put their personal interests before the law. There is no doubt that such businessmen and corrupt politicians do not deserve a pardon. Rather, Roh is obliged to grant a special amnesty to conscientious objectors, labor activists and violators of the anti-communist National Security Law who were imprisoned for their beliefs and ideals. The lawyer-turned president must ensure that all men are equal before the law.