National Assembly approves arrest of PPP lawmaker Ha

Mar 31, 2023, 09:30 am

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Rep. Ha Young-je of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) gives a speech at the National Assembly ahead of a vote on giving consent to the prosecution’s request to arrest him on March 30, 2023./ Photographed by Lee Young-hwa

AsiaToday reporter Kim Na-ri

The National Assembly on Thursday approved a motion allowing prosecutors to arrest ruling People Power Party (PPP) lawmaker Ha Young-je on charges of receiving illicit political funds. The motion was approved in a 160-99 vote in the National Assembly. As a result of the secret ballot, the ruling PPP said its 104 lawmakers took part in the vote, and at least 50 lawmakers from the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) seem to have voted in favor.

“Out of a total of 281 votes, it was approved with 160 votes in favor, 99 against, and 22 abstentions,” National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo said at the National Assembly’s plenary session. As a result, Ha will be questioned before the court’s arrest without privilege not to be arrested as a sitting lawmaker.

The DP, which had sparked controversy by rejecting arrest motion of its chief Lee Jae-myung and Rep. Noh Woong-rae, will inevitably come under fire for approving the motion to arrest Rep. Ha.

Ha has been under prosecution investigation on suspicion of receiving 70 million won ($53,602) from a South Gyeongsang provincial council candidate for about two years in return for helping the candidate for last June’s local elections.

The ruling and opposition parties had decided to hold a free vote without parties’ argument. But the PPP virtually decided to vote on the arrest motion, with lawmakers participating in the collective signing of the renunciation of privilege of freedom from arrest.

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