The main opposition Democratic Party said Sunday it received a tip-off that indicates powerful figures from the same region as President Park Geun-hye tried to hamper a police probe into intelligence agents accused of interfering in last year’s election.

The party did not elaborate on what it called “the main body” behind former Seoul police chief Kim Yong-pan, the main suspect of the attempted cover-up, but the argument is expected to heat up partisan debates ahead of the planned parliamentary investigation into the case. 

“If the prosecution’s decision to indict National Intelligence Service chief Won Sei-hoon without physical detention was made under pressure from former President Lee Myung-bak and his aides, we believe that the prosecution’s decision not to arrest Kim Yong-pan may have been influenced by so-called ‘TK line’ politicians,” DP lawmaker Park Young-sun said in a news briefing.

The faction refers to politicians from Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, which have long been strongholds of the ruling Saenuri Party and President Park Geun-hye.

Prosecutors indicted Won and Kim on Friday without detention, sparking angry reactions from the opposition party which had demanded their arrests.

Both parties reached an agreement in March to conduct a parliamentary probe into the case but have been wrangling over when they will start the investigation.

“There is no legal or political reason to delay the parliamentary investigation, and the ruling party would be an accomplice of the NIS if it refuses to start the parliamentary inspection immediately,” Rep. Shin Kyoung-min said.

The ruling party has been reluctant to accept the DP’s demand arguing the prosecution has yet to finish its investigation,

“The spy agency’s online campaign was intended neither to help Park win the election nor sway the results,” said a Saenuri official. “In addition, an investigation should be conducted into the DP’s illegal activities surrounding the case.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Moon Jae-in, a former presidential candidate of the opposition party, told reporters, “Even though I think Park should take responsibility, it is not appropriate to hold her accountable and it is too late to do that.”

By Kim Young-won (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)