Indictment against Choi likely to include Park’s role

Despite its failure to question President Park Geun-hye this week, the prosecution Friday hinted at addressing her possible “criminal charges” in an indictment against her old friend Choi Soon-sil, based on existing evidence.

The prosecution has been calling for a face-to-face interview with Park before prosecuting Choi -- the deadline for which is Sunday -- to build grounds that the president had allowed or assisted her longtime civilian confidante in creating slush funds and meddling in state affairs.

Yet Park’s lawyer Yoo Young-ha delayed the questioning, saying it was “physically impossible” and that he needed more time to prepare. 

“Our position has been that the probe should be held no later than Friday, but given the lawyer’s remarks and the overall situation, this would not be possible,” an official of a special investigation team told reporters.

The prosecution’s aim was to look into Park’s role in the scandal through the questioning and reflect it in an indictment against Choi and two former presidential secretaries who are also under arrest, An Chong-bum and Jeong Ho-seong, whom it seeks to prosecute this weekend alongside Choi.

Even without the meeting, the team is capable of addressing Park’s alleged role to Choi’s indictment given the evidence it has secured so far. The official said it would make an “objective, reasonable decision” based on testimonies by the suspects and witnesses as well as materials seized during raids and from elsewhere.

“We pushed for the interview to provide the president a chance to testify before defining criminal facts involving the arrested three suspects,” the prosecutor said.

“(The president) is a key witness regarding crimes committed by them, and she faces possibly problematic criminal charges herself.”

The official’s first-ever mention of “criminal charges” may signal the possibility of the prosecution changing Park’s status from “witness” to “suspect” when the questioning takes place.

The investigators are predicted to focus on whether Park was behind the fast launch of two culture and sports foundations with corporate donations totaling 77.4 billion won ($67.7 million), over which Choi and An allegedly have peddled influence. Other allegations include the president instructing Jeong to pass confidential documents to Choi and facilitating her intervention in personnel management and other areas of state governance.

Jeong was arrested on charges of leaking state secrets, while An faced charges of abuse of authority, interference with rights and attempted coercion.

The Constitution exempts the president from being prosecuted, but Park has publicly said she would meet with the prosecutors, including those of an independent special prosecution to be organized by the National Assembly.

But criticism is mounting as Park and Yoo seek to postpone the interview, with opposition lawmakers and legal experts branding it an “attempt to buy time” and shift defense logic after examining the to-be-unveiled indictments against the three suspects. 

By Shin Hyon-hee / (heeshin@heraldcorp.com)