문무일 국민 기본권 강조…'수사권 조정안' 논란, 검•경 밥그릇 싸움?…핵심쟁점은<br /><br />A long-standing debate over whether police should have more power to pursue criminal cases has generated strong tensions between them and prosecutors.<br />Our Oh Soo-young takes a deeper look into the issue. Korea's prosecution and police remain at loggerheads over a plan to redistribute the country's investigative powers.<br />Chief prosecutor Moon Moo-il said Tuesday that legislative reform plans allowing the police to close initial investigations goes against democratic principles. <br />He told reporters earlier in the day that the power to control, open and end investigations must be segregated in order to protect the rights of citizens. <br /> Meanwhile, the Commissioner General of the national police agency has indirectly supported the redistribution of power. <br /> Under the country's Criminal Procedure Act,... only prosecutors have the authority to close investigations.<br />The prosecution also has the exclusive right to indict suspects and, since 1962,... the sole right to seek arrest warrants,... making the police subject to the orders of prosecutors.<br /> Over the years,... the asymmetrical system has lead to concerns and criticism that such imbalance of power could lead to the obstruction of justice.<br />Following a string of bribery and abuse of power scandals involving high profile prosecutors,... public skepticism toward the current investigative system has heightened in recent years.<br /> As part of a drive to root out corruption,... the Moon Jae-in administration has pushed for the reassignment of investigative powers,... and the establishment of a special body to tackle corruption among senior government officials. <br />However, efforts to fast track legislation proposing these measures have been met with resistance from the prosecution, saying police authority would grow excessively.<br />The police have dismissed these claims, saying the prosecution has the authority to intervene in any investigation. <br />The prosecution is particularly opposed to allowing the police to close initial cases,... saying this could lead to cases being closed without sufficient investigation.<br />Police authorities have, again, retorted that appeals can be made,... and that prosecutors can exercise their right to order re-investigations. <br />In what appears to be an attempt to find the middle ground, Cho Kuk, a senior official at the presidential office, said Monday that the prosecution's concerns must be heeded.<br />But he indicated that the fast-track decision on reform must be respected,... and that efforts must be made to create an autonomous police and a special investigation body, while upholding checks against excessive police expansion.<br />A survey completed last week by Realmeter shows some 57 percent of some 9-thousand Korean adults are in favour of rebalancing investigative powers.<br />31 percent opposed,... over concerns that the police could gain too much authority.<br />Oh Soo-young, Arirang News. <br />
