Prosecutors on Saturday are going all out to reject lawmakers' plans to abolish a key investigation unit of the state prosecution as part of their judicial reform efforts.
A subpanel of the special legislative committee on judicial reform announced on Friday that it agreed to press ahead with its legislation plan to scrap the central investigation unit of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office (SPO) despite strong opposition by prosecutors. The lawmakers cited the unit's vulnerability to political pressure as the key reason for sticking to the plan.
The decision triggered harsh, organized protests from prosecutors with some in the unit calling the move "an open interruption" of a probe in progress.
The legislative move came as prosecutors moved the focus of their probe into now-suspended savings banks to former and incumbent ranking government officials and politicians who allegedly received bribes from the banks in return for helping them avoid punishment for their irregularities. The central investigation unit of the SPO is currently in charge of the probe into Busan Savings Bank, which is at the center of the ever-widening scandal.
"I'm embarrassed because I thought lawmakers would close the issue with a recommendation, without legislation," a senior prosecutor said, requesting not to be named. "I take this decision seriously, as including the issue in a legislation plan means they will force the shutdown of the unit."
Prosecutor General Kim Joon-gyu is to convene an emergency meeting of senior prosecutors on Monday to discuss how to respond despite the national Memorial Day holiday, according to officials at the SPO.
Some raised suspicions that the renewed reform drive may be intended to thwart the probe.
The move is likely to cause a delay in the prosecution's plan to summon key suspects and witnesses for questioning over the bank scandal.
Prosecutors planned to interrogate Kim Jong-chang, a former chief of the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), around Sunday over allegations that he took bribes for helping lessen the intensity of audits and punishment for the Busan-based bank.
Eun Jin-soo, a former state auditor and aide to President Lee Myung-bak, served as a go-between in the deal, according to prosecutors. Eun was taken into custody on Tuesday on lobbying and bribery charges. (Yonhap)
검찰, 중수부 폐지합의에 격앙…'수사방해' 반발
대검찰청 중앙수사부가 국회 사법개혁특별위원회의 중수부 직접 수사기능 폐지 합의에 대해 "저축은행 수사를 하지 말라는 말이냐"며 격렬하게 반발했다.
부산저축은행그룹의 금융비리와 정관계 로비의혹을 수사하는 중수부 수사팀의 한 관계자는 3일 밤 "이번 사개특위의 결정은 진행 중인 수사 사안에 대해 심각한 방해를 하는 것이나 마찬가지"라며 격앙된 반응을 보였다.
국회 사개특위 검찰관계법 소위는 앞서 이날 전체회의를 열어 중수부의 직접 수사기능을 폐지하는 방안을 법제화하기로 합의했다.
검찰소위는 검찰청법의 직제규정을 `대검에는 직접 수사하는 부(部)나 과(科) 등을 두지 않는다'라고 고치는 안과 검찰청법에 검찰총장의 수사명령 권한을 제한하는 규정을 신설하는 안 가운데 최종적인 법제화 방안을 선택하기로 했다. (연합뉴스)
