Rivals feud over illegal campaign charges

Candidates go head-to-head on TV over illicit publicity in Gangwon

Amid recent suspicions of illicit campaigning, the Gangwon governor candidates of the ruling and opposition parties clashed in a heated televised debate on the issue late on Saturday night.

“Though I have tried my best to keep this by-election clean and fair, I am sorry that some of the overenthusiastic volunteers of our camps have caused trouble,” said Ohm Ki-young of the ruling Grand National Party in the live debate on a local broadcaster.

“We shall keep our eyes on the police investigation and cooperate if so requested.”

Ohm Ki-young (left) of the ruling Grand National Party and Choi Moon-soon of the main opposition Democratic Party explain their election pledges during a televised debate hosted by MBC on Saturday. (Yonhap News)

Local police on Friday raided a pension in Gangneung, on a tip-off from opposition party officials, and arrested some 30 people for making covert telephone calls to persuade voters to cast ballots for Ohm.

As the pension has not been registered as a campaign office, officials said such acts are in violation of the election law.

Investigators are studying email and phone records to find out whether Ohm knew or was involved in the calls. His camp has so far firmly denied the charges.

The main opposition Democratic Party rebuked Ohm’s denial, and added its voice to the accusations of his violating the election law.

“The GNP places the blame on the volunteers, but it is hard to believe that they could have organized such a costly project on their own, without the party or the candidate knowing,” said the DP spokesperson on Sunday.

Investigators are also seeking to find the source of the operation’s funding, including the money used to rent the pension.

Ohm, however, demanded that Choi and the DP wait for results from the police investigation, urging the him to refrain from rash slander.

The GNP candidate also countered by pointing to similar charges against the DP.

“The DP is also suspected of intentionally sending out fabricated SMS messages to some 220,000 citizens, a charge which has not yet been fully cleared,” Ohm said.

“We should all be patient until the police come up with an official result, in order to prevent these by-elections from becoming a set of mudslinging games.”

Choi claimed that the illicit call center scandal was a thoroughly planned election crime, whereas the SMS messages were sent due to a data processing error.

In his other campaign speeches, the DP candidate also demanded that Ohm end his candidacy in order to take responsibility for his alleged involvement in the alleged illicit campaign.

Both Ohm and Choi face another television forum late on Monday, the last before the Wednesday by-elections.

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)

민주당, 엄기영 후보 공직선거법 위반 고발

민주당은 25일 한나라당 엄기영 강원지사 후보를 공직선거법 위반 혐의로 춘천지검에 고발했다.

민주당은 이날 안봉진 변호사를 통해 제출한 고발장에서 "피고발인(엄 후보)이 작년 12월10일 만든 '평창동계올림픽유치지원 민간단체협의회'는 선거운동을 위해 조직된 단체로 보이며 최근 구성원들이 선거운동을 해온 정황이 다수 발견되고 있다"면서 "이는 단체의 선거운동을 금지한 공직선거법 제87조 6항 위반에 해당된다"고 밝혔다.

또 "피고발인이 강릉 경포대 인근의 펜션을 얻어 전화홍보 등을 하도록 한 것은 유사기관 설치를 금지한 공직선거법 제89조를 위반한 것"이라며 "피고발인은 자신과 관련이 없다고 강변하지만 피고발인이 회장으로 있었던 단체가 조직적으로 동원됐으며 불법 사무소를 운영하는데 1억원이 넘는 비용이 들어간 것은 피고발인의 관련없이 이뤄지기 불가능하다"고 지적했다.

이와 함께 "불법 선거운동원들에게 일당과 식사를 제공하면서 전화를 이용한 선거운동을 하게 한 것은 서신.전보 등에 의한 선거운동 금지를 규정한 공직선거법 제109조를 위반한 것"이라며 "불법 사무소에서 사람을 고용해 일비를 지급하고 식사를 제공한 것은 기부행위 제한 등을 명시한 공직선거법 제114조 등을 위반했다"고 덧붙였다.

아울러 "펜션을 임차해 전화홍보를 한 것은 공직선거법에서 금지한 사전선거운 동에 해당된다"며 엄벌을 요구했다.

한편, 강릉경찰서는 불법 선거운동사무소를 설치해 일당과 식사를 제공하고 선거운동을 한 혐의(공직선거법위반)로 김모(37)씨와 권모(39)씨 등 2명에 대해 지난 24일 구속영장을 신청했다.

경찰에 따르면 김씨 등은 엄 후보를 위해 강릉 모 펜션에 불법 선거운동사무소를 설치한 뒤 전화홍보원 30명을 5개조로 조직, 휴대전화 등으로 선거구민에게 선거운동을 하게 한 혐의를 받고 있다.

이에 맞서 한나라당도 최문순 후보 측이 허위사실을 명시한 휴대전화 문자메시지를 불특정 다수 22만명에게 발송한 것 등에 대해 최 후보를 검찰에 고발하는 것을 적극적으로 검토중인 것으로 알려졌다.

(연합뉴스)