President Lee Asks National Assembly to Remove Clause on Dropping Charges from Distorted Indictment Special Counsel Bill

Regarding the controversy surrounding granting the authority to drop charges under a special counsel bill on distorted indictments, President Lee Jae-myung asked the National Assembly to delete the clause concerning the transfer and disposition of existing indicted cases and let the probe focus on uncovering the truth.

At a press conference for the public held at the Cheong Wa Dae State Guest House today (September 18), President Lee said, "Among the matters regarding the authority of the special counsel on distorted indictments that are currently causing controversy, I hope the clause concerning the transfer and disposition of existing indicted cases will be deleted, and that focus will be placed solely on uncovering the truth."

He emphasized, "I find it regrettable that a debate over allowing the withdrawal of charges in existing cases has arisen, needlessly obscuring the essence of the matter," adding, "I ask that measures be taken so that unnecessary controversy over dropping charges does not arise."

He continued, "All matters should be handled in accordance with the natural order of things, the law, and principles," adding, "It is undesirable for political disputes to continue needlessly over certain wording, causing misunderstandings about me or the government to spread."

President Lee explained, "For cases suspected of malicious investigative distortion, it is right to uncover the truth through a special counsel," adding, "If investigative and prosecutorial agencies under my direction handle that task, misunderstandings will arise again."

He also added, "For such cases suspected of distorted indictments, it is necessary for the National Assembly to swiftly uncover the truth fairly and transparently through a special counsel."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
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