Police to question husband of ex-lawmaker over alleged request for indictment

Police to question husband of ex-lawmaker over alleged request for indictment

Seoul police said Tuesday they plan to question an incumbent court judge who is the husband of former lawmaker Na Kyung-won over allegations he asked a prosecutor to charge a blogger who had been critical of his wife. Officials said they will ask Kim Jae-ho to appear before investigators for questioning. He has been accused of asking the prosecutor, Park Eun-jeong, to take action against a blogger who penned a post criticizing Na in 2005. Na, then a lawmaker, had attended a ceremony celebrating the 50th anniversary of Japan's Self-Defense Forces in 2004, in what was viewed as a politically-sensitive move. Na pressed defamation charges against the blogger, who was indicted in April 2006 and fined 7 million won (US $6,230) by the Supreme Court in December 2006. Last month, Park claimed she had received calls from Kim to charge the blogger. She said she took maternity leave in January 2006 and informed her replacement, Choi Young-woon, of Kim's request. It was Choi who approved Na's suit against the blogger. Seoul prosecutors said Tuesday that Park had given similar testimony in writing. Seoul police on Wednesday said they have sent written questionnaires to both Park and Choi. Kim will be questioned after police investigators review the answers from Park and Choi, a police official said. Last October, one day before the Seoul mayoral by-election in which Na was a candidate for the then Grand National Party, local magazine reporter Joo Jin-woo claimed on a popular podcast, "Naneun Ggomsuda," ("I Am a Petty-minded Creep"), that Kim had asked a prosecutor to indict the blogger. The podcast is known for its hard-hitting criticism of the Lee Myung-bak administration and ruling-party legislators. Na, who went on to lose the election, sued Joo for spreading false information and Joo filed a countersuit against both Na and Kim. (Yonhap)