 ▲ 윤석열 대통령이 12일 용산 대통령실에서 대국민 담화를 하고 있다. © 대통령실 |
윤석열 대통령 측이 5일 총 향후 5차례 헌법재판소 탄핵심판 변론기일 중 적정한 기일에 윤 대통령이 직접 출석해 의견을 밝힐 예정이라고 밝혔다.
윤 대통령 수사 변호인단·탄핵심판 대리인단 공보 역할을 맡은 윤갑근 변호사는 이날 오후 언론 공지를 통해 "헌재는 대통령에 대한 탄핵 심판 변론기일을 5회 지정했다"며 이같이 전했다. 윤 대통령 측이 출석 여부를 명확히 밝힌 건 이번이 처음이다.
앞서 헌재는 윤 대통령 탄핵 사유 여부를 본격 다투게 될 첫 변론기일을 오는 14일로 정하고 총 5차례 변론기일(1월 14·16·21·23일·2월 4일)을 통지한 바 있는 가운데 윤 대통령이 언제 출석할지는 아직 미지수다.
헌재법에 따라 정식 변론엔 당사자가 출석해야 하고, 당사자가 출석않으면 재판을 종료하고 다음 기일을 정하되 두 번째 기일에도 불출석 시 당사자 없이 재판할 수 있다.
윤 대통령 측은 지난 '12·3 비상계엄' 선포 배경 및 정당성에 관해 탄핵 심판정서 자세히 밝히겠다고 예고한 바 있는 가운데 윤 대통령이 직접 출석하면 탄핵심판 재판정에 서는 첫 대통령이 된다. 과거 노무현·박근혜 전 대통령 경우 한 차례도 출석않았다.
한편 윤 대통령 측은 이날 지난 3일 이뤄진 고위공직자범죄수사처(공수처)·경찰의 영장 집행 시도 관련해 오동운 공수처장 등 150여명을 고발하겠다고 밝혔다. 윤 대통령 측은 오는 6일 서울중앙지검에 고발장을 제출 계획이다.
윤 대통령 법률대리인단은 이날 낸 입장문에서 "오 처장·공수처 검사 및 수사관·경찰 특별수사단 등 150여명 전체를 특수공무집행방해 및 치상·특수건조물침입·군사기지 및 군사시설보호법 위반 등 혐의로 검찰에 고발한다"고 밝혔다.
고발 대상엔 공수처 수사3부 이대환 부장검사와 검사 3명·이호영 경찰청 차장(경찰청장 직무대리)·김선호 국방차관(장관 직무대행)·최현석 서울경찰청 생활안전차장·호욱진 용산경찰서장 등이 포함됐다.
대리인단은 "공수처장은 3일 경찰에 대한 수사지휘권이 없음에도 경찰 특수단을 지휘해 대통령에 대한 위헌·위법인 영장 집행에 착수했다"며 "이 과정에서 군사시설 보호구역시설인 정문을 부수고 침입했고 불법 영장 집행을 막는 경호처 직원들을 폭행해 일부가 상해를 입게 했다"고 했다.
또 경찰청·국방부가 관저 지역 경호경비부대 배치를 늘려 달라는 박종준 경호처장 요청과 최상목 대통령 권한대행 부총리 겸 기획재정부 장관 경호 협조 요청을 거부한 점을 문제 삼았다.
대리인단은 "경호처장의 정당한 협조 요청을 거부하고 대통령 권한대행 지시에 불응해 항명한 것"이라며 "경호처 작전통제를 받아 관저 외곽경계를 엄수해야 할 55경비단이 (공조본이) 정문을 부수고 진입하는 걸 방치토록 한 행위는 직무유기죄"라고 지적했다.
그러면서 "서울경찰청·용산경찰서가 경호처 경호원들이 관저로 들어가지 못하게 막은 행위는 직권남용 권리행사 방해죄'라며 "경찰청 차장·국방차관·서울경찰청·용산서 관계자 전원을 공수처의 위법한 영장 집행에 적극 공모한 공범으로 고발할 것"이라고 했다.
이어 "경찰 특수단이 영장 집행 과정에서 1급 국가보안시설인 관저를 촬영한 사실을 확인했다"며 "군사기지 및 군사시설 보호법 제9조 위반으로 추가 고발조치 예정"이라고도 밝혔다.
더불어 "대통령 경호에 대한 지시 불응·항명은 국가 안보 근간인 대통령 경호 체계를 뿌리째 흔든 중대사건"이라며 "국가 안보 근간이자 최고 통치권자를 보호하는 대통령 경호체계를 바로 세우고자 불법을 저지른 이들에 엄중한 법적 책임을 묻고자 한다"고 밝혔다.
아래는 위 기사를 '구글 번역'으로 번역한 영문 기사의 [전문]입니다. '구글번역'은 이해도 높이기를 위해 노력하고 있습니다. 영문 번역에 오류가 있을 수 있음을 전제로 합니다.<*The following is [the full text] of the English article translated by 'Google Translate'. 'Google Translate' is working hard to improve understanding. It is assumed that there may be errors in the English translation.
President Yoon Seok-yeol's side: "President Yoon will appear at the appropriate date for the impeachment trial and state his opinion"
Announced that he will reveal in detail the background and legitimacy of the declaration of '12·3 Martial Law' and the impeachment trial sentiment.. On January 14, 16, 21, 23, and February 4, 150 people, including the Public Prosecutor's Office Director and Deputy Commissioner of the National Police Agency, were indicted for their involvement in executing arrest warrants
-kihong Kim reporter
President Yoon Seok-yeol's side announced on the 5th that President Yoon will appear in person and express his opinion on an appropriate date among the five impeachment trial hearings at the Constitutional Court.
Attorney Yoon Gap-geun, who served as public relations officer for President Yoon's investigative defense team and impeachment trial representative team, announced this in a press release that afternoon, saying, "The Constitutional Court has designated five impeachment trial hearing dates for the president." This is the first time that President Yoon's side has clearly stated whether or not he will appear.
The Constitutional Court previously set the first hearing date, where the grounds for President Yoon's impeachment will be fully argued, for the 14th and notified a total of five hearing dates (January 14, 16, 21, 23, and February 4), but it is still unknown when President Yoon will appear.
According to the Constitutional Court Act, the parties must appear for formal hearings, and if the parties do not appear, the trial will be concluded and the next date will be set, but if they do not appear for the second hearing, the trial can be held without the parties.
President Yoon's side had announced that they would explain in detail the background and legitimacy of the declaration of martial law on December 3rd, and if President Yoon appears in person, he will be the first president to stand before the impeachment trial. In the past, former Presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Park Geun-hye did not appear even once.
Meanwhile, President Yoon's side announced that they would file a complaint against around 150 people, including the head of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) and the police, regarding the attempted execution of a warrant on the 3rd. President Yoon's side plans to submit a complaint to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on the 6th.
In a statement released that day, President Yoon's legal team stated, "We will file a complaint against all 150 people, including Director Oh, prosecutors and investigators of the CIO, and members of the police special investigation team, on charges of obstruction of special official duties, causing bodily harm, trespassing on special structures, and violating the Military Base and Military Facility Protection Act."
The indictment targets include Chief Prosecutor Lee Dae-hwan of the 3rd Investigation Division of the Public Prosecutor's Office, three prosecutors, Deputy Commissioner General Lee Ho-young of the National Police Agency (Acting Commissioner General), Vice Minister of National Defense Kim Seon-ho (Acting Minister), Chief of the Public Safety Department of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Choi Hyun-seok, and Chief of Yongsan Police Station Ho Wook-jin.
The delegation stated, "The Commissioner of the Public Prosecutor's Office, despite not having the authority to direct the investigation of the police, commanded the special police unit to begin executing an unconstitutional and illegal warrant against the president on the 3rd," and "In the process, he broke down the main gate of the military facility protection zone and entered, and assaulted the security service staff who were blocking the illegal execution of the warrant, causing some of them to be injured."
They also took issue with the National Police Agency and the Ministry of National Defense's refusal of the request of the Commissioner General of the Security Service Park Jong-joon to increase the deployment of security forces in the area of the presidential residence and the request of Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance Choi Sang-mok to cooperate in protecting the president.
The delegation pointed out that "they refused the legitimate request for cooperation from the head of the security service and disobeyed the instructions of the acting president," and that "the 55th Security Brigade, which was supposed to strictly maintain the outer perimeter of the residence under the operational control of the security service, allowed (the Joint Investigation Team) to break down the main gate and enter, which is a dereliction of duty."
In doing so, he stated, “The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and Yongsan Police Station’s act of preventing the Secret Service’s security guards from entering the official residence constitutes an abuse of power and obstruction of the right to exercise their rights,” and “We will indict the Deputy Commissioner of the National Police Agency, the Deputy Minister of National Defense, and all officials from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and Yongsan Station as accomplices who actively colluded in the illegal execution of the warrant by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.”
He continued, “We have confirmed that the special police unit filmed the official residence, a first-class national security facility, during the execution of the warrant,” and “We plan to take additional action against them for violating Article 9 of the Military Base and Military Facility Protection Act.”
In addition, he stated, “Disobeying and disobeying instructions regarding the presidential security is a serious incident that has shaken the very foundation of the presidential security system, which is the foundation of national security,” and “We intend to hold those who committed the illegal act strictly legally accountable in order to rectify the presidential security system, which is the foundation of national security and protects the supreme ruler.”
