Government officials and police on Thursday denied allegations of gathering intelligence about Seoul National University professor Ahn Cheol-soo.

His close aide and lawyer Keum Tae-sup said that the authorities appear to have had the SNU professor under surveillance. Rep. Song Ho-chang of the Democratic United Party claimed that the information could not have been secured without “stringent surveillance by intelligence or government organizations.”

After their press conference, Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik refuted the claims saying that such developments were impossible.

“Government organizations conducting surveillance activities and relaying the information (to Saenuri Party) is impossible,” the prime minister told the National Assembly.

“Doing something like that after going through the difficulties related to the illegal surveillance scheme is not something that can be thought of under normal circumstances.”

The Prime Minister’s Office was at the center of the investigation into the government’s surveillance activities earlier this year. The investigation revealed that key PMO officials placed a number of government officials and ordinary citizens under surveillance under the directions of Cheong Wa Dae officials.

The police also denied the possibility of its involvement in any surveillance activities concerning Ahn.

The Natinoal Police Agency said it has not collected any intelligence on politicians since April 2003, when the politics team of its intelligence-gathering organization was abolished.

In addition to denying its involvement in the latest speculations, the police agency has taken a recent news report accusing it of having had Ahn under surveillance to the Press Arbitration Commission, and may take legal action against the concerned media outlet depending on the PAC’s decision.

By Choi He-suk  (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)