“Original pro-Lee” Jung Sung-ho: “More deliberation was needed on the special counsel probe into fabricated indictments”

[Financial News] An original pro-Lee (pro-Lee Jae Myung) figure and the first justice minister of the Lee Jae-myung administration, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Jung Sung-ho voiced concerns on the 6th about the special counsel bill on fabricated indictments. He argued that the special counsel was unlikely to determine whether the prosecution had in fact fabricated indictments.
Appearing on MBC radio’s “Kim Jong-bae’s Focus” that day, Jung said, “If they stir things up a lot and nothing turns up, how many other adverse effects might there be?” He added, “I feel that more deliberation was needed.” The special counsel bill was set to be taken up at a plenary session that day.
“There has been a related parliamentary investigation in the National Assembly, and the prosecution has formed a Human Rights Respect Committee that is investigating the matter, so there is some overlap [with the special counsel],” he said. “If evidence was fabricated, you would have to get the statements of those involved and the documents overturned, but it is not easy to investigate other evidence to the contrary.”
“I was also justice minister when the comprehensive special counsel investigation was conducted, and at the time there were many difficulties in dispatching prosecutors,” he continued. “If prosecutors who have already been stripped of their investigative powers are sent to conduct an investigation, would they have any motivation?”
“It is certain that the prosecution conducted an excessive investigation, but it is not easy to directly link that to whether it can be called fabrication,” he said. “President Lee Jae Myung has never discussed withdrawing the indictment with me in a one-on-one meeting, either.”
He also said, “I think the investigative processes themselves in the Daejang-dong scandal and the Cash-for-summit scandal had serious problems,” but added, “Still, it is not easy to establish through judicial proceedings that evidence was fabricated.”   

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