Justice Minister Park Beom-gye enters the Supreme Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the afternoon of the 22nd, answering questions from reporters to attend the Supreme Court Candidate Recommendation Committee. yunhap news
Justice Minister Park Beom-gye has decided not to conduct a re-investigation command in relation to the prosecution’s “maintaining the end of allegations” in the alleged case of former Prime Minister Han Myung-sook. In fact, he expressed his intention to accept it. However, dissatisfaction with the meeting method and result was poured out with comments such as “I doubt whether the purpose of the investigation and command was reflected” and “I will not be free from the controversy of the prosecution’s’covering the family. Taking into account the statute of limitations in this case (expired at midnight on the 22nd), he indirectly revealed his intention that he was merely accepting the prosecution’s conclusion reluctantly.
In particular, Minister Park predicted a high-intensity inspection not only for the prosecution’s investigation and maintenance of public property in cases of violations of the Political Fund Act of the former Prime Minister of Korea in 2010-2011, as well as the process of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office and High Prosecutors’ Meeting. It means to push ahead with the results of the prosecution and push for’Prosecution Reform Season 2′, so the spark of conflict between the Ministry of Justice and the prosecution has been alive for the time being.
Dissatisfaction with the process of the Great Swords Meeting… Don’t use the expression’I accept’
Minister Park issued a statement on the 22nd and said, “It is questionable whether the purpose of the exercise of the investigative command was properly reflected at the high-ranking prosecution meeting (19th). On the 17th, when he initiated the investigation command, he nailed the matters he ordered had not been observed.
However, Minister Park did not express that he would not accept the conclusion of “maintaining the end of all charges” reported by Assistant Prosecutor General Cho Nam-gwan on the 20th. But he didn’t even say’I accept’. Justice Department Prosecutor General Lee Jeong-soo explained in a press briefing, “If you do not accept (the conclusion of the great swordsman), you will be commanding a re-investigation. In conclusion, (the Minister) will not give command of the investigation again, but will accept it.” It is a form of acceptance that left an unpleasant aftertaste, but in any case, the case involving former Prime Minister Han was completely closed judicially.
“I am greatly sorry for being suspicious of the procedural definition again”
However, Minister Park pointed out the problems of the Great Swords Meeting. First of all, he said, “It was not a meeting dealing with the disciplinary procedure of the prosecutor who investigated the first inmates,” considering the fact that prosecutor Eom Hee-joon, who was a member of the former Prime Minister’s investigation team, attended the meeting without prior consultation. He added, “It was not included in the investigation and command of the minister.” Director Lee explained, “The other side can say,’Isn’t it necessary to call the inmates, too?’ But if there is no prior consultation, there is a question about the fairness of the meeting process.”
They also raised questions about whether a close review was conducted at the Great Swords Meeting. Minister Park said, “On the day of the meeting, if you relied on reports and questions and answers for a limited time, you will not be free from the prejudice against prosecutors (Lim Eun-jeong, prosecutor policy researcher) who make a different voice within the organization, prejudice that inmates cannot be trusted, and controversy surrounding family members. Will” he pointed out. He criticized the prosecution for breaking the trust of the prosecution, stipulating that the progress of the meeting was reported to a specific media as’external leaks’. At the same time, he said, “I am very sorry to be suspicious of procedural justice again in the process of carrying out the investigation and command of the suspicious case where procedural definition is a problem.”
“The prosecution investigation method and the decision-making process of the great prosecutor are also inspected”
Minister Park also said, “With the strict joint prosecution of the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Prosecutors, we will thoroughly investigate the truth of inappropriate direct investigations by the prosecution, and strongly promote effective institutional improvement measures.” He added, “We will also promote system improvement in relation to the prosecution’s initiation of investigation into important cases, case distribution, and procedures for forming an investigation team.”
The Supreme Swordsman made an official position and virtually refuted Park’s point, saying, “It was judged according to the law and evidence through a rational process.” About the background of Prosecutor Eom’s attendance at the meeting, he explained, “It was to accurately judge the credibility of the statement that is an important reference in relation to the issue of the case, and there were no objections from members such as the Chief of Prosecutors’ Office (Dong-soo Han).” However, he added, “I deeply sympathize with the point of wrong investigation practices in the prosecution’s direct investigation,” and “I will actively cooperate with the joint prosecution.”
At the front line prosecutors, voices of opposition come out. An executive at the Metropolitan Prosecutors’ Office said, “The idea of overseeing the decision made by the participants through review and discussion within the scope of the purpose of the investigation and the legally permitted is to ignore the legal process.” It only seems to be trying to catch a pod.”
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