&#91EDITORIALS&#93Political ruse in disguise

The Seoul District Prosecutors Office has concluded that there is no evidence to support 14 charges, which the special investigation division has investigated, out of 23 accusations, complaints and petitions claiming instances of draft-dodging. Although some cases are still pending, it seems that the investigation into a scandal that rocked the nation last year is over.

The result, however, is only the arrest of Kim Dae-eop who raised suspicion that a son of Lee Hoi-chang, who was the presidential candidate from the main opposition party in last year's election, evaded military service. He is being held on charges of libel and false incrimination. As an outcome of the six-month-long investigation by the prosecution, this falls way short of what is warranted. It gives the impression that the whole nation was tricked for political purposes.

The core of the scandal, suspicion over the evasion of military service, is not clear yet. We wonder what the prosecutors investigated. Kim Dae-eop's false assumption as an investigator and his illegal use of a prosecutor's computer, which imply the prosecution's patronage for him, should be clarified.

The investigation was launched, despite the statute of limitation being exceeded. Although the period of indictment on suspicion of military service evasion had been passed, the prosecutors started the investigation under the guise of investigating the truth concerning a libel case. It was wrong. The precedence of prosecutors investigating a case out of expediency will be a burden. The statute of limitations should have been honored.