People Power Party: "Minister Park Beom-gye's investigation command is effectively an indictment order, an abuse of authority"

Minister of Justice Park Beom-gye is attending the plenary meeting of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee held at the National Assembly on the 25th, responding to questions from lawmakers. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] Members of the People Power Party belonging to the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee criticized Minister of Justice Park Beom-gye for abusing his authority by exercising his investigative command rights.

In a statement on the 18th, they said regarding the case of former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook's alleged witness tampering, "The Supreme Prosecutors' Office concluded the case with a final decision of no charges on the 5th," adding, "The Supreme Prosecutors' Office thoroughly investigated all suspicions concerning inmate Kim Mo, who was the party involved in the witness tampering, and the investigation team accused of instructing the false testimony, but no charges were confirmed."

They continued, "Last July, the Human Rights Supervision Department of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office also found no charges. Despite both the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office issuing no-charge decisions, the excessive exercise of investigative command rights is essentially equivalent to an order to 'prosecute'."

Pointing out that the statute of limitations for inmate Kim Mo's prosecution expires on the 22nd, they stated, "Minister Park Beom-gye is proving himself to be 'Chu Mi-ae Season 2,' wasting a year under the pretext of prosecutorial reform with a focus on 'distrust of the prosecution' and 'weakening the prosecution'."

People Power Party members of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee said, "Former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook was convicted by the Supreme Court in 2015 while serving as a member of the National Assembly for receiving illegal political funds," and added, "Nevertheless, the forced exercise of investigative command rights to 'save former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook' is nothing but an attempt to grant immunity to key figures of the regime."

They went on, "Minister Park Beom-gye’s exercise of investigative command rights, prioritizing his status as a Democratic Party member, is an act that fosters distrust in the judiciary by the Minister of Justice himself and demonstrates a violation of the rule of law. Our people know that this is an intimidation of the prosecution until the desired conclusion is reached, disregarding the no-charge decisions made by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Inspection Department and the Human Rights Supervision Department of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office."

They also emphasized, "If the Minister of Justice tries to judge specific cases with selective justice and selective suspicion, there is no reason to maintain the position of Minister of Justice, whose life depends on fairness and neutrality."

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