South Korean police notified the Major Crimes Investigation Agency of nearly 500 cases over nine days, but not a single case has been transferred because the agency has not requested any handovers. Concerns are mounting over delayed investigations.
According to data submitted by the Korean National Police Agency to the office of Rep. Kim Ye-ji of the People Power Party, a member of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee, police notified the agency of a total of 459 cases over the nine days from the 2nd to the 10th. As of the 8th, however, the number of cases for which the agency requested a transfer, or that were actually transferred, stood at zero.
Under the law governing the agency, other investigative bodies must immediately notify the head of the Major Crimes Investigation Agency when they identify any of the seven categories of serious crime that fall within the agency's jurisdiction. Those bodies must hand over the case if the agency requests a transfer, absent justifiable grounds for refusal.
With handovers at a standstill, concerns over investigative delays are growing.
Criminal complaints filed directly with the agency show a similar picture. As of the 7th, regional offices of the agency had received a total of 82 criminal complaints.
The agency is assigning those cases to the relevant divisions at each regional office, but shortages of staff and facilities mean it is likely to take considerable time before full investigations get underway.
"If notifications from police do not lead to actual investigations by the agency, it is hard to say the system is working properly," Kim said. "The agency and the National Police Agency need to review the entire process, from notification to transfer to the start of investigations."