ID :
185443
Tue, 05/31/2011 - 06:17
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/185443
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Presidential office lashes out at main opposition for raising groundless suspicions
SEOUL, May 31 (Yonhap) -- The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae lashed out at the opposition party Tuesday for raising unfounded allegations incriminating top aides to President Lee Myung-bak in a snowballing influence-peddling scandal.
Rep. Park Jie-won, a leader of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), and other party members have raised suspicions that the senior political affairs secretary and other aides to Lee might have been involved in the scandal that already led to the fall of a high-level state auditor.
"Core officials of the No. 1 opposition have been raising groundless suspicions that confuse the people only for the sake of political gains," a key Cheong Wa Dae official told Yonhap News Agency. "Should these suspicions prove to be untrue, they have to take responsibility."
The opposition party sees the scandal as a chance to dent the reputation of the ruling camp. It has raised a series of suspicions pointing to possible involvement of more high-level officials following revelations that Eun Jin-soo, a former official at the Board of Audit and Inspection, took bribes from Busan Savings Bank in exchange for his influence.
Park, former floor leader of the DP, has claimed that Chung Jin-suk, senior presidential secretary for political affairs, might have played a role in Busan Savings Bank's takeover of another savings bank, while DP spokesman Lee Yong-sup claimed that former vice knowledge economy minister Park Young-joon is a relative of a lobbyist for Busan Savings Bank.
The presidential office rejected these suspicions as groundless, and demanded the opposition party apologize.
"Who would believe these suspicions even when basic facts are incorrect?" the Cheong Wa Dae official said. "There would be a day coming when they should take responsibility for engaging in immoral politics like this."
The ruling Grand National Party and the main opposition agreed Monday to launch a joint parliamentary investigation into the scandal in next month's extraordinary session, a move seen as a reflection of the ruling camp's confidence that it has nothing to hide.
"We believe every single detail should be brought to light through a parliamentary probe," a presidential official said.
The scandal has been a top political and social issue in South Korea for months.
Busan Savings Bank was found to have engaged in extending illegal loans to large shareholders and other financial irregularities involving billions of dollars in total. The bank has also been accused of tipping off its employees' relatives and VIP customers about its impending suspension in February so as to help them withdraw their deposits in advance.
The scandal also revealed problems with the practice of government officials taking private sector jobs after retirement in the fields they regulated while in office, and the presidential office plans to toughen related regulations, officials said.
"We will expand the scope and duration of employment restrictions on senior officials and apply them in a stringent manner," an official said.
Rep. Park Jie-won, a leader of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), and other party members have raised suspicions that the senior political affairs secretary and other aides to Lee might have been involved in the scandal that already led to the fall of a high-level state auditor.
"Core officials of the No. 1 opposition have been raising groundless suspicions that confuse the people only for the sake of political gains," a key Cheong Wa Dae official told Yonhap News Agency. "Should these suspicions prove to be untrue, they have to take responsibility."
The opposition party sees the scandal as a chance to dent the reputation of the ruling camp. It has raised a series of suspicions pointing to possible involvement of more high-level officials following revelations that Eun Jin-soo, a former official at the Board of Audit and Inspection, took bribes from Busan Savings Bank in exchange for his influence.
Park, former floor leader of the DP, has claimed that Chung Jin-suk, senior presidential secretary for political affairs, might have played a role in Busan Savings Bank's takeover of another savings bank, while DP spokesman Lee Yong-sup claimed that former vice knowledge economy minister Park Young-joon is a relative of a lobbyist for Busan Savings Bank.
The presidential office rejected these suspicions as groundless, and demanded the opposition party apologize.
"Who would believe these suspicions even when basic facts are incorrect?" the Cheong Wa Dae official said. "There would be a day coming when they should take responsibility for engaging in immoral politics like this."
The ruling Grand National Party and the main opposition agreed Monday to launch a joint parliamentary investigation into the scandal in next month's extraordinary session, a move seen as a reflection of the ruling camp's confidence that it has nothing to hide.
"We believe every single detail should be brought to light through a parliamentary probe," a presidential official said.
The scandal has been a top political and social issue in South Korea for months.
Busan Savings Bank was found to have engaged in extending illegal loans to large shareholders and other financial irregularities involving billions of dollars in total. The bank has also been accused of tipping off its employees' relatives and VIP customers about its impending suspension in February so as to help them withdraw their deposits in advance.
The scandal also revealed problems with the practice of government officials taking private sector jobs after retirement in the fields they regulated while in office, and the presidential office plans to toughen related regulations, officials said.
"We will expand the scope and duration of employment restrictions on senior officials and apply them in a stringent manner," an official said.
