Dignity of first family

Despite new probe, many questions remain unanswered

After a month-long investigation, special prosecutor Lee Kwang-bum announced Wednesday that his team will refer President Lee Myung-bak’s only son, Si-hyung, to the tax authorities for possible imposition of gift tax over a controversial project to build Lee’s retirement home. The junior Lee, however, was cleared of suspicion of violating a law obligating the use of real names in real estate transactions.

The team also indicted three former and incumbent officials of the Presidential Security Service without physical detention on breach of trust and other charges.

President Lee, who is at the center of the scandal that has rocked the country for more than a year, has not been indicted. By law, an incumbent president is immune from most criminal charges while in office. First lady Kim Yoon-ok was cleared of charges as the team concluded that there was insufficient evidence she was involved in the land purchasing process.

The result of the independent counsel’s probe is a far cry from that of the prosecution’s investigation in June, when none were charged over the dubious deal.

Cheong Wa Dae expressed regret over the result of the latest probe, refuting all charges categorically.

With the special prosecutor’s announcement, a court will have the final say on alleged irregularities in the purchase of a plot of land in southern Seoul.

However, the controversy over the land deal is expected to linger, because many questions remain unanswered yet. That’s all the more so, given that President Lee and Cheong Wa Dae drew fire for being allegedly uncooperative about the independent counsel’s probe by rejecting its request to have 15 more days to finish the investigation.

In fact, the main opposition Democratic United Party lashed out at President Lee and Cheong Wa Dae for obstructing the probe and raised the possibility of a reinvestigation after a change of government in December.

One of the biggest questions is the source of the 600 million won Si-hyung allegedly borrowed from the president’s eldest brother, Lee Sang-eun. After the incident came to light, various suspicions arose over the money and one of them alleged that it was part of President Lee’s secret funds.

Also, there had been suspicion that the first family orchestrated an illicit scheme to help the president’s son profit from the land deal, but the latest probe partly cleared President Lee and his family from such charges.

Nevertheless, it’s very regrettable that the president’s son is facing a tax probe and some of Lee’s bodyguards have been indicted, resulting in the dignity of the first family being tarnished significantly.

We don’t understand yet how the seemingly small incident has escalated to reach the point where the retiring president should worry about a possible reinvestigation after his retirement. There must have been serious problems in Lee’s management of state affairs.

The retirement home scandal must serve as a valuable lesson for our future leaders, especially the new president who will be elected in the Dec. 19 poll, in guiding the country. <The Korea Times>