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Jeondeungsa Temple in Ganghwa Island where Buddhist monk Jangyoon resides. The gate was tied shut on Saturday.
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An investigation of corruption and irregularities at Dongguk University Foundation is fizzling out although it produced tangible findings. It focused on the people who appointed the disgraced star curator Shin Joeng-ah as an art professor despite qualifications that proved fraudulent. Shin was recently exposed as having lied about her Yale doctorate.
There is speculation that a senior Cheong Wa Dae official leaned on prosecutors to close the case after revelations that he tried to silence the original whistleblower immediately before the scandal broke in July. The special investigation team at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors¡¯ Office halted its investigations of former Dongguk University President Hong Ki-sam¡¯s suspected involvement in a corruption case, alleged embezzlement by some board members and corruption in the hiring of faculty and other staff.
The chairman of the university board, a Buddhist monk, threw his support behind the disgraced curator at a press conference on July 2. The Ven. Youngbae had also played a leading role in Shin¡¯s appointment as assistant professor. Prosecutors uncovered evidence that a director of the university embezzled a portion of government subsidies to the college. The Chosun Ilbo obtained the prosecutors¡¯ internal report, which details the director¡¯s diversion of W700 million (US$1=W942) of government subsidies for his personal use. A prosecutor who took part in the investigation said the probe produced considerable findings through tracking the bank accounts of those suspected of involvement. But it was closed before decisive evidence could be found for reasons he declined to elaborate on.
A prosecutor-turned lawyer said the ¡°invisible power¡± that brought the investigation to a halt was ¡°highly likely the same person who protected Shin.¡± The Seoul Western District Prosecutors¡¯ Office, which is conducting an investigation into the bogus doctorate degree scandal, will question another Buddhist monk and former Dongguk director this week. The Ven. Jangyoon was the first to publicly cast doubt on the authenticity of Shin¡¯s degree. Prosecutors will want to know whether Planning and Budget Minister Byeon Yang-kyoon really attempted to persuade Jangyoon to keep mum and hush up the scandal, as the monk has claimed.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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