New major crimes unit, police likely to face friction over unclear jurisdiction
The freshly launched agency dedicated to investigating "major crimes" may be headed for a turf war with the police due to a still unclear line between their jurisdictions, observers said Thursday. The new Serious Crime Investigation Agency (SCIA) set sail at the start of this month under a recent revision to the Criminal Procedure Act that effectively dismantled the previous prosecution system,…
A newly established agency, the Serious Crime Investigation Agency (SCIA), tasked with tackling major crimes, may soon encounter conflicts with regular police forces due to a lack of clarity in the division of responsibilities between the two entities. The SCIA was introduced this month following amendments to the Criminal Procedure Act, which effectively replaced the previous prosecution system.
This revision left prosecutors with solely the power to indict and pursue criminal cases, while the SCIA and police forces now share the duty to investigate seven major crimes. These crimes encompass corruption, business and economic matters, defense procurement, narcotics, national security, cybercrimes, and violations of the law.
However, the definition of what constitutes a "major crime" remains ambiguous. Furthermore, the SCIA may be compelled to delve into investigations concerning seemingly minor offenses if they involve corruption, narcotics, or other listed crimes. The police force has reportedly begun preparing for potential disputes stemming from these jurisdictional uncertainties.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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