The Democratic Party's proposal to exclude the President and lawmakers from the targets of the Corruption Investigation Agency (CPI) has raised concerns about a regression in the power-checking structure and potential confusion in the new criminal justice system.
On October 7, the Judicial Center of Lawyers for a Democratic Society issued a statement urging that discussions on narrowing the CPI's investigation targets should cease.
The center emphasized, "The CPI was established to independently and rigorously investigate and prosecute crimes committed by high-ranking officials, including the President and lawmakers, without any sanctuary. Excluding key targets from an agency created to ensure fair investigations undermines its foundation and legitimacy."
It further stated, "Excluding the President and lawmakers from the investigation targets is a clear regression in the power-checking structure. Designating the Central Investigation Agency, which is under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, as the investigative body significantly weakens the function of power checks."
The statement also noted, "With the recent abolition of the Prosecutor's Office and the establishment of the Public Prosecution Service and the Central Investigation Agency, it is crucial to stabilize and solidify the new criminal justice system. Attempting to narrow the CPI's investigation targets at this time, which will inevitably lead to more discussions, is inappropriate as it only adds to confusion and uncertainty."
The Democratic Party is pursuing legal amendments to limit the CPI's investigation targets to judicial and investigative officials. Instead of including the current targets such as the President, Prime Minister, and lawmakers, the party plans to expand the scope to include not only high-ranking officials but also police officers and all investigators from the Central Investigation Agency.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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