Lawmaker Identifies 4 As the Initials In Scandal

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Lawmaker Identifies 4 As the Initials In Scandal

Using the privilege of parliamentary immunity on Thursday, an opposition lawmaker named four insiders in President Kim Dae-jung's administration as people suspected of investing in a private fund run by the president of a dot.com firm who is at the center of the illegal-loan scandal.

Rep. Lee Ju-young of the opposition Grand National Party named the names that he said were behind "KKK" and another top government official, "P."

These initials have consistently popped up in investigations into the illegal loan scandal triggered by Chung Hyun-joon, president of Korea Digital Line, who set up the private fund.

"Based on the rumors trickling out of the stock market, the KKKs are Kwon Roh-kap, Rep. Kim Ok-doo and Rep. Kim Hong-il, and the vice-ministerial level official is the presidential spokesman Park Joon-young.

"Is that so?" the lawmaker asked during a parliamentary hearing into the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office.

Prosecutor-General Park Soon-yong answered that investigators had not briefed him on those involved in the fund. Hearings stopped monentarily as ruling lawmakers asked that the statement be removed from the stenographic record.

The four men named challenged Mr. Lee's statement.

"It is contrary to the truth, and you can expect a libel suit," Mr. Kwon said.

"It is also an malicious statement, blurted out to create public distrust in politics. It must face the judgment of the law and the public," he angrily said.

The ruling party's secretary-general, Kim Ok-doo, said: "If Rep. Lee has evidence, he should not hide behind the immunity privileges. He should disclose the names in a place where immunity privileges cannot protect him."

by Choi Sang-yeon

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