▲ Board of Audit and Inspection
An internal investigation by the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) has revealed that there was coercion and manipulation during the BAI's audits into the previous Moon Jae-in administration's alleged manipulation of real estate statistics and the West Sea official killing incident under the Yoon Suk Yeol government.
It was confirmed that the statistical audit team at the time exerted coercive audit practices while investigating officials from the Blue House and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, including using high-pressure language that caused intimidation and insult, falsely recording written statements, forcing testimonies, and restricting opportunities for explanation.
For example, an auditor identified as Auditor A pressured a Blue House administrator even before starting the questioning, saying, "This alone is enough to get you indicted without a doubt," and, "If you do not cooperate, the chief's public service career is over."
Another auditor falsely recorded in a written questionnaire during questioning with a Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport official that the official stated, "(Feeling pressured by instructions from higher-ups), all officials exerted influence on the Korea Real Estate Board, distorting housing statistics," even though the official made no such statement.
Excessive auditing targeting audit subjects in vulnerable physical and psychological conditions was also confirmed.
Auditor B required a female audit subject to report to Sejong City for questioning, even though the auditor was aware that she was caring for her six-month-old child in Jeju at the time.
Over the course of six rounds of questioning that followed, most sessions were conducted late into the early morning hours, past midnight.
The task force explained that Auditor B infringed upon the basic human rights of the audit subject through excessive investigation, such as delaying the questioning time by intentionally ordering and eating fried chicken as a midnight snack past midnight during the sixth questioning session, even after the audit subject expressed her intention to conclude the session.
In addition, there were illegal aspects throughout the overall forensic process, such as forcing consent for cell phone forensics, inducing the waiver of forensic observation, collecting privacy information, and conducting additional forensics that did not comply with regulations.
The task force stated that the BAI requested an unreasonable investigation to the prosecution by submitting a request for investigation containing facts different from reality, without properly implementing the BAI's inherent evidence consistency verification process, and kept multiple cell phone copies collected in violation of due process without discarding them before providing them to the prosecution.
In this regard, the number of cases where the contents of the investigation request and the actual evidence did not match or where evidence was insufficient reached 220.
The task force stated that during the West Sea audit process as well, officials conducted coercive investigations, such as inducing audit subjects to cancel legitimate requests for recording or making remarks causing displeasure, and carried out illegal forensics on personal cell phones that did not meet requirements.
The task force explained that most of the officials who conducted these audits belonged to the Special Investigation Bureau led by former Secretary-General Yoo Byeong-ho, who has been arrested and indicted.
Based on the results of this investigation, the BAI filed complaints against nine working-level staff members of the past audit team related to the statistical audit on charges of abuse of authority, obstruction of official duties, and fabrication of official documents.
As an administrative measure, the BAI also requested heavy disciplinary actions, including dismissal or removal from office, against 10 staff members related to the statistical audit.
Regarding the West Sea audit, for which the statute of limitations for disciplinary action has expired, written warnings were issued to 12 individuals, including two directors.
Separately, the BAI forwarded investigative reference materials regarding former BAI Chairman Choe Jae-hae, BAI Commissioner Yoo Byeong-ho, and former Secretary-General Choi Dal-young to the National Office of Investigation.
Meanwhile, some employees protested the task force's announcement on this day, stating that it differed from the facts.
In a statement, some employees who participated in the statistical audit and underwent investigation by the task force said, "We did not conduct the investigation with a predetermined conclusion, but did our best to clarify objective facts and approach the substantial truth," adding, "It is very regrettable and baffling that [our work] is evaluated in an entirely different light years later."
They emphasized, "The fact that housing statistics were arbitrarily adjusted due to external pressure was proven based on objective materials and statements from related parties," and "The audit results were derived based on objective evidence, not statements made through coercion."
They further claimed, "The task force's investigation proceeded according to a predetermined conclusion of coercive investigation and statement manipulation," and "Rather, the task force reviewed the mobile phone data and other materials of the audit subjects without legitimate procedures and distorted the facts."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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