Political Parties Criticize Ex-Pres. Roh in Unison

Political parties yesterday criticized in unison former President Roh Moo-hyun, who is suspected of taking a huge bribe from Taekwang Industry Park Yeon-cha.

Ruling Grand National Party leader Hong Joon-pyo told a radio program, “It’s a lame excuse to say (Roh) gave one million dollars to his wife and five million dollars to his son. The money was given to him, not his wife or son, wasn’t it?”

“The breadwinner of a family holds comprehensive responsibility. This corruption case involves family, and I hope Roh will confess.”

Fellow party lawmaker Gong Sung-jin also said, “When his involvement in the leftist movement became controversial while he was a presidential candidate, he ducked the controversy by asking, ‘Do you want me to abandon my wife?’ It’s no different this time. Saying, ‘My wife took the money’ is no different from asking ‘Do you want me to go to prison?’”

“It’s a national disaster that a coward who does everything he wants by hiding behind his family to avoid legal responsibilities was elected.”

A first-time ruling party lawmaker said, “It’s hard to believe that the one million dollars was to repay debt. I get really angry when he makes lame excuses just as he did to drive former Daewoo Construction and Engineering President Nam Sang-gook to suicide (in 2004) to protect his older brother.”

The head of the minor conservative Liberty Forward Party Lee Hoi-chang said in another radio program, “Why does a man pass the buck to his wife? It is not so like a former president.”

“It doesn’t look good to say he didn’t do it but that his wife did. If he committed a crime, president or not, he must be punished.”

A rising number of lawmakers from the main opposition Democratic Party have criticized Roh’s attitude. One said, “He has the look of a coward not befitting a former president.”

A Democratic Party lawmaker elected under the proportional representation system said, “He reminds me of a saying that too many reasons and talk make one look like a coward. It is puzzling to see Roh’s contradictory behavior unlike when he was president.”

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