LAND SCANDAL BROUGHT UP IN AUDIT

[Anchor Lead]

The Seongnam land development scandal has once again disrupted the second day of the National Assembly audit of the government. Placards demanding a special counsel probe into the scandal reappeared at a few committee meetings. Audit sessions were also suspended at one point. When questioned by lawmakers, the justice minister said he opposes the idea of a special prosecutor probing the case. Amid criticism of a delayed police investigation, the head of the National Police Agency admitted that wrong decisions were made.

[Pkg]

Placards about the urban development scandal appeared at the National Assembly’s audit of the government for the second straight day. Rival party lawmakers engaged in a heated argument over the picketing campaign.

[Soundbite] Park Seong-min(PPP Representative) : "Why are you telling me to take this down? It's not causing any disruption."

[Soundbite] Kim Kyo-heung(DP Representative) : "Instead of putting up signs, ask logical questions about policies."

After arguing over the placards, the National Defense Committee’s audit session ended without getting anything done. At the Legislation and Judiciary Committee's audit of the justice ministry, the ruling party asked who ordered the prosecution to file complaints against critical ruling bloc figures. The main opposition party asked about the Daejang-dong scandal.

[Soundbite] Kim Jong-min(DP Representative) : "Yoon Seok-youl used his prosecutorial power to order his subordinates to file complaints in order to meddle in the general election."

[Soundbite] Yoo Sang-beom(PPP Representative) : "The Seongnam Development Corporation took KRW 182.9 bn and Cheonhwadongin and Hwacheondaeyu took the remaining KRW 404 bn. If you approved this, how can you say that you’re not responsible?"

Justice Minister Park Beom-gye said the allegation of the prosecution ordering the filing of complaints is serious enough to undermine the state’s basic functions. He added that the alleged real estate scandal in Seongnam must be investigated for suspicions of special treatment and lobbying. When the PPP lawmakers called for a special counsel probe, Park assured that the investigation will be carried out fairly and objectively.

[Soundbite] Park Beom-kye(Minister of Justice) : "About 16 or 17 prosecutors are involved in this investigation, so I don’t think the probe would be biased."

During the audit of the National Police Agency, all the lawmakers took issue with the slow pace of the police investigation over Hwacheondaeyu, the development company at the center of the Daejang-dong project.

[Soundbite] Yang Gi-dae(DP Representative) : "The Korea Financial Intelligence Unit asked to investigate Hwacheondaeyu’s suspicious money flow in April, but it wasn’t investigated properly for five months."

[Soundbite] Suh Bum-soo(PPP Representative) : "The police wasted the first five months and dawdled even after the allegation was in the news. How do you plan to investigate this when key figures have already left the country, went into hiding and destroyed evidence?"

[Soundbite] Kim Chang-ryong(Commissioner General, National Police Agency) : "I don't know what to say..."

The lawmakers inspecting the Cultural Heritage Administration asked about whether PPP Representative Kwak Sang-do and his son are involved in the issuance of an excavation permit for an ancient historical site in the Daejang-dong area. The head of the CHA answered that to his knowledge, there were no procedural problems.