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S Korea assembly to rule on probe S Korea to probe poll frontrunner
(about 4 hours later)
South Korea's Justice Ministry will not re-open an investigation into fraud allegations against a leading presidential candidate, Lee Myung-bak. South Korea's parliament has voted to set up a special counsel to look into fraud claims involving the frontrunner in this week's presidential elections.
Earlier this month officials cleared him over a stock price manipulation case involving an ex-business partner. The decision to investigate Lee Myung-Bak comes just two days before Wednesday's polls.
However, the National Assembly is due to vote on an independent inquiry, and appears likely to approve it. Mr Lee was recently cleared of links to an alleged fraud to fix stock prices.
A former Hyundai executive who served as mayor of Seoul, Mr Lee, 65, is tipped to win Wednesday's election. But the scandal resurfaced on Sunday, when a video emerged in which Mr Lee said he had established the company at the centre of the allegations.
The opposition Grand National Party (GNP) candidate has a sizeable lead on his two rivals for the top job, polls suggest. Rival lawmakers have come to blows in parliament in recent days as members of Mr Lee's Grand National Party (GNP) tried to stop rival United New Democratic Party (UNDP) lawmakers from voting in the special counsel.
Independent probe Accusations
On Sunday, the current President Roh Moo-hyun asked Justice Minister Chung Soung-jin to consider re-opening the investigation into Mr Lee in order to "relieve the public suspicion and regain the prosecution's trust". A 65-year-old former Hyundai executive who served as mayor of Seoul, Mr Lee is tipped to win Wednesday's election.
The GNP accused President Roh of meddling in the election. Opinion polls show he has more than double the support of any other candidate.
The inquiry cleared Mr Lee of involvement in a fraud case involving an investment company called BBK in 2001. The huge gap between Mr Lee and his rivals is all the more remarkable because of the accusations of property speculation, tax evasion and fraud that have dogged his campaign.
A Justice Ministry official said: "We will be accepting an independent counsel if parliament introduces it." The current president, Roh Moo-hyun, ends his term in February and cannot seek re-election. A victory by Mr Lee would see the GNP return to power for the first time in a decade.
The governing United New Democratic Party backs the bill to appoint an independent counsel to investigate the allegations against Mr Lee. On Sunday, Mr Roh asked Justice Minister Chung Soung-jin to consider re-opening the investigation into Mr Lee's alleged links to a fraud case concerning an investment firm called BBK.
President Roh, who leads a liberal coalition, ends his term in February and a victory by Mr Lee would see the GNP return to power for the first time in a decade. Mr Lee had previously said he had nothing to do with the company, but his opponents say the video clip which surfaced on Sunday proves he was lying. In return, the GNP has accused Mr Roh of meddling in the election.
The UNDP candidate, Chung Dong-young, has been badly trailing Mr Lee in opinion polls ahead of Wednesday's vote. Early on Monday the justice ministry rejected Mr Roh's call to reopen the fraud probe, saying prosecutors had already looked into the case.
Mr Lee has promised to revive South Korea's economy as well as stronger ties with the US and a tougher line towards North Korea. But an official said the ministry would accept an independent counsel "if parliament introduces it" - which is what the parliament has now voted to do.