SEOUL, - Marine Corps.' former top investigator on Thursday denied allegations that he disobeyed his superior's order over an internal probe into the death of a young Marine in July and called for a thorough investigation into alleged influence peddling surrounding the case.
Col. Park Jung-hun was indicted on charges of insubordination and defamation of his superior after he handed over the probe findings regarding the death of Cpl. Chae Su-geun to the civilian police in August despite then Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup's order for him to wait for more legal deliberations.
"Charges of insubordination and defamation of my superior cannot be established. If the court thoroughly gets to the bottom of the case and reveals that there was external pressure, the rest of my charges will be cleared," Park told reporters in front of the High Military Court in the defense ministry compound ahead of the first hearing of his trial.
Park expressed regret over the police's slow investigation into the cause of the Marine's death and the Corruption Investigation Office's dragging probe into whether there was influence peddling behind the case.
"Today, I appeared before the court martial due to the military prosecution's absurd investigation and indictment. I will faithfully attend the trials to prove my innocence and that justice is alive," said Park, flanked by his former Marine colleagues in their signature red shirts.
Park spearheaded the preliminary probe into what contributed to the death of Chae, who was swept away by an overflowing stream in Yecheon County, 161 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on July 19 while on a mission to search for victims of downpours.
Chae's death has sparked criticism that his commanders pushed for the risky operation without proper safety measures.
The Marine Corps investigation found that eight people, including the commander of the 1st Marine Division, are responsible for negligent homicide and other charges.
Park reported the finding to Lee on July 30, which the minister initially approved. But he reversed his decision a day later, citing a need for further review.
Park transferred the records to the police anyway, leading to his dismissal from his post and the investigation by military prosecutors.
The former Marine investigator has told media that he felt pressured to remove the division commander from a list of people found responsible for the death, claiming that Lee asked whether even the commander would face criminal charges during their meeting.
Prosecutors rejected the remark as false, accusing Park of defaming the minister.
Source: Yonhap News Agency