The prosecutors' investigation of the Hanbo scandal is in full swing but the central points of the case have not been revealed. Heads of the Korea First Bank and the Cho Hung Bank were arrested under the suspicion of taking 400 million won each in commission for giving irregular loans to Hanbo. Highly credible rumors abound of the huge amounts of bribes taken by the ministers and the important members of the ruling and opposition parties but still the real figure who pressured the banks to give the loans and the total amount of money involved in the process remains in the dark.

If the "investigation without sanctuary" repeatedly stressed by President Kim is really implemented, the real figure behind the Hanbo scandal might have been revealed by now. However, the prosecutors' investigation underway appears to evade the central issues of the scandal and only concentrates on the minor points such as customary gratuities and rebates and circulates the outskirts of the ruling and opposition parties rather than searching for the pressure from behind.

It is quite natural that in the beginning, bankers are questioned on the irregularities and taken into custody but there has been no indication that the investigation is seriously going after those in the rear who pressured them to issue unjustifiable loans and their misdeeds in full scale. The prosecution seems to be interested in only customary gratuities given to the members of the ruling and opposition parties.

Those in power should be aware that the situation will deteriorate to a point of no return if the prosecutors emphasizing "investigation without sanctuary" are to complete their investigation by arresting several bankers and finding irregularities concerned with the minor figures in the ruling and opposition parties and the government proportionally and arresting any member as in the past. Of course, the irregularities of those who received customary bribes is not permissible but the investigation should be focussed on the whereabouts of the so-called lobbying fund of Hanbo and to what channel it flowed to and the function of the behind force in the whole procedure.

In this regard, the so-called "President Kim's butler" Rep. Hong In-gil's "feather theory" contains many indications. He totally denied the rumors of accepting 700 million won in cash but he said that "he was only a small potato, only a feather" leaving queer connotations. It is difficult at this moment to determine whether the "feather" meant that he is a minor figure or that the money he got from Hanbo is little compared to the total amount of slush fund. However, in either case, it might indicate that the Hanbo scandal is directly related to the body and not the "feather" and that the amount of money involved is huge.

The prosecutors were known to have revealed privately to the press that the involvement of the ruling power figure, who is extremely difficult to mention. This indicates that the prosecutors are already aware of the full scale outline of the scandal. We urge the prosecutors again to go forward in their investigation despite the many difficulties involved.