Prosecutors set to seek arrest warrant for DUP floor leader

Prosecutors will seek an arrest warrant for the main opposition party‘s floor leader embroiled in a bribery scandal but repeatedly snubbing their summons, sources said Sunday.
The move, scheduled for Monday, is expected to lead to a sensitive vote in the National Assembly over the lawmaker’s arrest as courts have to gain parliamentary approval to arrest an incumbent lawmaker while the assembly is in session.
Rep. Park Jie-won of the Democratic United Party has been under investigation on charges of accepting around 100 million won (US$87,657) in kickbacks from a troubled savings bank in return for influence peddling in 2008.
Prosecutors summoned the three-term lawmaker three times earlier this month for questioning but he failed to respond to the subpoenas, accusing the prosecutors of launching “politically motivated” investigations.
Park, who served as a chief of presidential staff and culture minister under former President Kim Dae-jung, became the floor
leader of the center-left party in May.
Once prosecutors request a court issue an arrest warrant, the National Assembly must table an arrest motion in a plenary session.
The motion needs to be voted on within 72 hours, with a majority of votes needed for its approval.
The current session runs through Friday.
Earlier this month, the ruling Saenuri Party came under public fire after the National Assembly rejected an arrest motion for one of its lawmakers, who was also accused of bribery in connection with a massive savings bank scandal.
In the savings bank scandal, an elder brother of President Lee Myung-bak was put behind bars and indicted on bribery charges Thursday.(Yonhap)