Leaders of United New Democratic Party stage a demonstration in Myeongdong, central Seoul, Wednesday, against the prosecution’s investigation report into the BBK scandal. / Korea Times Photo by Sohn Yong-seok |
By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
Liberal candidates Wednesday denounced prosecutors for clearing Grand National Party presidential candidate Lee Myung-bak of allegations he was involved in a case of stock manipulation and corporate embezzlement by a former business partner.
Calling the prosecution investigation of the financial scam biased, they threatened to stage large-scale rallies and seek legislation to introduce an independent counsel for a second investigation.
After suspending his campaign, United New Democratic Party (UNDP) candidate Chung Dong-young and party lawmakers staged a protest rally in Seoul.
They also held a candlelight vigil at night, urging the prosecution to seek the truth.
``We cannot accept the investigation results on Lee which the prosecution made up,'' said Rep. Kim Hyun-mee, spokeswoman of the UNDP. ``We will fight against politically-biased prosecutors and Lee Myung-bak.''
She said they will fight with citizens against the politicized prosecution and the corrupt candidate.
UNDP legislators including Rep. Yun Ho-jung plan to submit a bill to the National Assembly to introduce an independent counsel to investigate the financial scam, party officials said.
They said the bill will get Assembly endorsement since the minor opposition Democratic Labor Party and Democratic Party share the same view as them.
Rep. Chung Bong-ju hinted that they would raise further suspicions, saying, ``We have concrete and critical evidence.''
Earlier in the day, the liberal party convened the Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee and decided to call prosecutors investigating the financial scam as witnesses for a committee hearing.
The UNDP has attacked the frontrunner Lee, accusing him of stock manipulation of consulting firm BBK.
Moo Kook-hyun of the Creative Korea Party (CKP), who proposed a unified candidacy to Chung, also criticized the prosecutors' announcement.
Moon's said the prosecution had presented poor results and failed to clear all suspicions.
``We cannot admit a single letter of the result. I think we should file a lawsuit against the prosecution,'' CKP Spokesman Kim Gap-su told reporters.
Another CKP official Jang Yu-shik said, ``This is the first job of new Prosecutor-General Lim Chae-jin who allegedly received bribes from a conglomerate. It is not good enough to clear suspicions about GNP candidate Lee.''
He said that the prosecution's announcement was the same as the GNP's argument and ``just indulged'' Lee.
ksy@koreatimes.co.kr
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