“The president has a difficult schedule because she has to prepare measures to cope with this urgent situation and appoint an independent counsel among candidates to be recommended by tomorrow,” President Park’s attorney Yoo Yeong-ha said.
SEOUL, Nov. 28 (Korea Bizwire) – President Park Geun-hye’s on Monday refused prosecutors’ request for face-to-face questioning on her role in an influence-peddling scandal that has rocked her presidency.
Her attorney Yoo Yeong-ha said the president “will not be able to cooperate” with the direct inquiry, citing her busy schedule.
“The president has a difficult schedule because she has to prepare measures to cope with this urgent situation and appoint an independent counsel among candidates to be recommended by tomorrow,” Yoo said in a text message to reporters.
Prosecutors had requested Park to undergo a face-to-face interrogation no later than Tuesday.
Prosecutors earlier identified Park as an accomplice of her confidante, Choi Soon-sil, and several aides who have been charged with abuse of power, coercion and fraud. Yoo had claimed the investigation was politically biased and based on “imagination and conjecture.”
“As her attorney, I also have to prepare for issues related to Cha Eun-taek, who was indicted a day earlier, and former senior presidential secretary for economic affairs Cho Won-dong who is under investigation,” Yoo added.
Cha, a former commercial and music video director, was indicted amid allegations he used the connection with Park’s confidante to pocket profits.
Cho, who served as senior economic secretary to Park from 2013 to 2014, is also suspected of pushing local food and entertainment giant CJ Group to fire its vice chairwoman, saying it was the wish of the president.
(Yonhap)
