With two weeks remaining until the end of the investigation, the special counsel team Tuesday began rescheduling the date to question President Park Geun-hye.
They also added fresh fuel in having Samsung Group‘s heir apparent Lee Jae-yong arrested over bribery charges related to the president’s confidante Choi Soon-sil.
Both hurried moves were largely taken as the outgoing investigation team‘s last-minute struggle to prove the embattled state chief’s liability in the extensive corruption scandal.
“Concerning the face-to-face questioning of the president, our team is making the necessary measures,” said Lee Kyu-chul, spokesperson for the independent counsel.
Just on the previous day, Lee had said that the team had “no contact whatsoever” with the presidential office, denying speculation of possible under-the-table negotiations.
The official, however, refrained from offering details, either on the questioning timeline or the related negotiations.
“It is inappropriate to let out detailed reports until details are fixed,” he said.
President Park was earlier slated to face summons on Wednesday-Friday last week. But upon reports the date was set for Thursday, her lawyers and aides called off the interview, claiming the investigators had leaked the information.
This last-minute refusal of the summons not only dampened the already-sensitive relationship between the presidential office and the investigators, but also blurred the outlook for the remaining investigation.
With increased uncertainties on the direct inquiry of the president, investigators once again focused on Lee, the vice chairman of Samsung Electronics and heir apparent of the group.
After questioning Lee on the previous day for some 15 hours, investigators requested the court for an arrest warrant for the top businessman.
The investigation team had earlier sought to have the conglomerate chief arrested on charges of offering benefits to Choi in exchange for the president’s support in facilitating his corporate succession, but the request was dismissed by the court.
Special prosecutors also vowed to focus on Samsung Group only and to leave out other conglomerates, such as Lotte, SK, and CJ -- all of which allegedly had monetary connections to Choi -- due to lack of time.
But in case both Park and Lee steer clear of the investigators once again, possibilities rise the independent counsel may fail to prove the state chief’s bribery charges within the given period.
“We have sent out a written statement to the National Assembly that an extension of the investigation period is necessary,” the counsel’s spokesman said.
“Without the period extension, it is quite evident that we may no longer make tangible progress from what we have so far.”
The team, led by Independent Counsel Park Young-soo, is set to operate until Feb. 28, but can be extended by another month upon the approval of acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn.
Hwang, who is currently considered a plausible presidential candidate for the conservative camp, has been passive on supporting the investigation.
During the parliamentary interpellation session last Friday, he offered his opinion that “it is not yet time to consider an extension for the independent counsel,” hinting at his disapproval of letting the investigators carry on.
koreaherald@heraldcorp.com
