`Memogate' all about lies: prosecutors
Senior prosecutor Yoo Sang-bum speaks about the outcome of an investigation into the “memogate” scandal at the Seoul District Prosecutors’ Office, Monday. / Yonhap
By Jung Min-ho
Prosecutors concluded Monday that allegations at the center of the “memogate” scandal were based on rumors fabricated by two disgruntled presidential aides.
The announcement of the outcome of their interim findings appeared to support comments made by President Park Geun-hye that reports published by a vernacular daily, the Segye Ilbo, regarding a power struggle among her aides were “baseless.”
Wrapping up the case, prosecutors indicted three men — former Presidential Secretary Cho Eung-chon, Police Superintendent Park Gwan-cheon and another police officer, surnamed Han — on charges of leaking confidential information.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office said in a briefing that Park authored and leaked 17 documents on the orders of Cho, the former presidential secretary for civil service discipline.
According to the prosecution, Park allegedly gave the documents containing information about the President’s relatives and aides to Park Ji-man, the President’s younger brother and chairman of electronics materials maker EG, said the prosecution.
Yet the prosecution failed to identify any motives for their actions.
Prosecutors indicted Cho without physical detention on charges of leaking confidential information and violating the Presidential Records Management Act.
Last week, the court refused the prosecution’s request to issue an arrest warrant for Cho.
The prosecution indicted Han on charges of leaking confidential information. He allegedly helped Supt. Park and gave some of the information to a senior Hanwha official.
Supt. Park is already indicted on charges of leaking confidential information, hiding official documents, making false accusations and violating the Presidential Records Management Act.
When suspicions about the leaked documents emerged in April, Supt. Park allegedly submitted a false report to Cheong Wa Dae about how the documents reached the media. In the report, he falsely blamed others in the civil service discipline office as being responsible.
The documents include information that Jeong Yun-hoe, a former aide to President Park, tried to exert influence on state affairs, including personnel-related matters, through regular meetings with 10 presidential secretaries.
The prosecution said that Jeong, who holds no official position in the Park administration, had not met with any of the 10 presidential secretaries since October 2013.
Prosecutors noted that the documented information indicating Jeong hired someone to follow Park Ji-man was also fabricated.
The allegations of Jeong being a mastermind behind state affairs became a major scandal for the Park administration ahead of the start of its third year in power.
Yet many people remain unconvinced that Jeong did not meddle in state affairs because prosecutors only proved that there were no meetings with secretaries.
Prosecutors concluded that nothing in the documents was true but failed to provide convincing evidence to back this up.
Critics say the prosecution could not investigate the allegations fully because even before the probe started, President Park defined them as “groundless allegations” and called for stern punishment only for those involved in making and leaking the documents.
The investigation result met with liberal politicians’ criticism immediately.
“As expected, it seems prosecutors followed the President’s guidelines,” the minor opposition Justice Party said in a statement. “They concluded that all allegations by indicting three people without looking into them thoroughly. Who would believe it?”
The main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy has called for a special counsel to conduct a second investigation.
The scandal has highlighted Park’s closed-off image, and internal conflicts among her secretaries.