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The team of special counsel Cho Joon-woong probing the Samsung Group corruption scandal has decided to extend its investigation another 30 days. The team's initial 60-day investigation period ended Sunday.
In its evaluation of its results thus far, the special counsel used the phrase "changwang challae", meaning "assess the past and look into the future."
The special counsel seems determined to successfully finish the investigation within 45 more days (30 days for the first extension and 15 days for a possible second extension) by discovering and correcting what went wrong in its initial 60-day probe.
The team has been praised for having achieved some success in uncovering borrowed-name bank accounts allegedly used by Samsung to hide slush funds.
But the investigators have been criticized for having failed to achieve any further progress into the investigation into Samsung's alleged underhand attempt to transfer group ownership to the son of its chairman, even though prosecutors had already made some progress in this area before they handed over the probe to the special counsel. Critics charge that the team's questioning of high-profile Samsung executives has been more show than substance.
The special counsel was rapped by the Catholic Priests' Association for Justice for its investigation into the conglomerate's alleged bribery of political leaders and senior government officials. The priests demanded the special counsel hand this part of the investigation back to state prosecutors, saying the special counsel lacks the will to dig deeper on this issue.
The investigators will likely focus their efforts on concluding the probe within the 30-day extension since they will have to compile their investigation records during the following 15-day extension period.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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