Prosecutors, police and CIO join efforts on presidential probe

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Prosecutors, police and CIO join efforts on presidential probe

Published: 10 Dec. 2024, 19:09 Updated: 10 Dec. 2024, 19:33

MICHAEL LEE
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Army Gen. Park An-su responds to questions from lawmakers on the parliamentary Defense Committee at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Tuesday. [YONHAP]

The state prosecution service, police and Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO) said Tuesday that they plan to combine their efforts to probe President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived imposition of martial law last week amid concerns over blind spots across multiple investigations.

Investigators from across different agencies who are looking into officials involved in Yoon’s imposition of martial law decree told the JoongAng Ilbo that they “agreed on the need for cooperation between different probes” and that they are currently working on coordination.

Kim Hu-gon, a former chief of the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office, said it would be “best” if a government agency with the legal power to integrate different investigative efforts — such as the Office of Government Policy Coordination, which is overseen by the prime minister — were to take charge of the concurrent probes to “prevent suspects from cooperating with investigators from agencies that they believe are more advantageous to themselves.”

Kim added that investigators from different agencies should at least share the information they gathered with each other and warned that turf wars over cases would “detract from investigations.”

The prosecution, police and CIO have all applied for travel bans against former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min and former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, leading the National Court Administration (NCA) to call on the different agencies to “coordinate” with each other “to maintain efficiency and protect the rights of suspects.”

Cheon Dae-yup, the head of the NCA, told members of the parliamentary Legislation and Judiciary Committee on Monday that the judiciary “regards the legality of indictments and the admissibility of evidence to be fundamental issues in cases.”

“As such, the matter of which agency conducts the investigation and obtains a warrant plays a very important role in a trial,” he added.

However, investigations into Yoon’s imposition of martial law have been complicated by the fact that multiple agencies are arguing they have the right to probe suspects in the case.

While police hold the right to investigate cases of treason, both the prosecution and CIO argue they have a right to probe the same crime if a suspect abused their official authority in doing so.

Lim Tae-hoon, head of the Center for Military Human Rights Korea, holds up his criminal report against 27 military officials for their alleged role in President Yoon Suk Yeol's imposition of martial law in front of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi, on Monday. [YONHAP]

Further, neither the police nor the state prosecution service have acquiesced to the CIO’s requests to take over their ongoing investigations, though relevant laws suggest the CIO takes precedence over other agencies if it claims authority over a case.

Once the permanent special counsel probe approved by the National Assembly on Tuesday takes off, the CIO will likely face even greater difficulty in claiming exclusive jurisdiction in investigating people suspected of involvement in the imposition of martial law.

Members of the judiciary have also expressed concern that the basic rights of such officials could be infringed by constant summons for questioning by police, the prosecution and lawmakers.

Gen. Park An-su, who served briefly as martial law commander before Yoon rescinded his decree, was summoned for questioning by prosecutors from 6 p.m. on Sunday to 2 a.m. on Monday. He then appeared at a meeting of the parliamentary Defense Committee the same day.

Likewise, Lt. Gen. Yeo In-hyung, who serves as the chief of the Defense Counterintelligence Command, received orders to submit himself for questioning from both the prosecution and police on Tuesday.

BY HEO JEONG-WON, MICHAEL LEE [[email protected]]