ARREST WARRANT FOR PPP LAWMAKER DENIED

[Anchor Lead]

An arrest warrant for People Power Party lawmaker Ha Young-jae, who faces charges of violating the Political Funds Act, has been dismissed. The court cited the fact that Ha confessed to most of the alleged crimes during the interrogation, and that the prosecution has secured a considerable amount of evidence necessary to prove the charges. With the rejection of Ha's arrest warrant, the controversy over the 'bulletproof' protection for main opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung is expected to intensify further.

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Prosecutors had requested an arrest warrant for People Power Party lawmaker Ha Young-je on charges of receiving 70 million won for helping a local elections candidate win a nomination. On March 30, parliament voted for the arrest consent motion 160-99. The judges examined the warrant four days later. However, after seven hours of review the warrant was dismissed. The judges said that despite the seriousness of Ha's crimes, he had confessed most of his wrongdoings and was unlikely to flee or destroy evidence, because the prosecutors had obtained most of the evidence needed to prove him guilty. It's the second dismissal of an arrest warrant that got consent from parliament since 2012, when Hyun Young-hee was charged with paying illegal political funds. Ha declined to comment when he appeared for the warrant review hearing at the Changwon District Court.

[Soundbite] Ha Young-je(People Power Party(April 3)) : "(What do you think about the charges?) I'll say what I think at the hearing."

Ha left the court two hours later with a stiff look on his face and waited at a detention center. He left without saying anything after his warrant had been rejected. The court's rare decision to deny the arrest warrant has reignited the controversy over DP Chairman Lee Jae-myung's so-called "bulletproofing." Transition Korea Party's Cho Jung-hun wrote on social media, apparently addressing Lee, that the rejection of Ha's arrest warrant serves Lee right for hiding behind his immunity from arrest as a sitting lawmaker instead of just undergoing a warrant review. This means that unlike Ha, Lee refused to even receive a warrant review because parliament had voted down an arrest consent motion. Rival parties are likely to continue to lock horns, with the PPP calling for abolishing lawmakers' privilege of immunity from arrest, and the opposition bloc claiming political oppression.