Claimed Official Duty, But Staff Accompanied Her on Sightseeing… "No Official Invitation Ever Existed"

[Anchor]

The joint police and prosecution investigation team has found that in the process of former National Election Commission Chairman Noh Tae-ak and his spouse traveling abroad using election commission budgets, the destination country had not invited the former chairman's spouse. The investigation team believes the former chairman's spouse did not attend any schedule related to the election commission's duties, and that four National Election Commission employees were instead mobilized for personal sightseeing schedules.

Reporter Kim Deok-hyeon has the details.

[Reporter]

The joint police and prosecution investigation team recently captured circumstances indicating that the spouse, who accompanied former National Election Commission Chairman Noh Tae-ak on three overseas business trips, cannot be seen as performing official duties.

They confirmed that during the overseas trips, four National Election Commission employees accompanied and assisted the former chairman's spouse with local sightseeing.

Previously, the investigation team conducted investigations into these individuals and reportedly secured statements confirming that "it is true they performed unofficial schedules."

Looking at the election commission trip records, the former chairman's spouse at the time did not participate in schedules related to election commission duties such as the electoral system.

Regarding the exclusive SBS report last June stating that there was no official invitation from the destination country for the spouse prior to the couple's overseas trip, the investigation team also officially verified this through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The investigation team ultimately determined that all of former Chairman Noh's overseas trips accompanied by his spouse were schedules planned independently by the National Election Commission, and that the related budgets were entirely borne by the election commission.

The investigation team is also looking into whether former Chairman Noh received prior reports on and was aware of the trip plans, and whether he intervened in the process of mobilizing election commission employees for unofficial schedules.

To verify this, the investigation team summoned and questioned two National Election Commission employees as reference witnesses, including one who accompanied former Chairman Noh on his overseas trip.

Meanwhile, regarding the ballot paper shortage incident, the investigation team summoned the head of the Gangnam-gu Election Commission office as a suspect, and is continuing to question related individuals regarding allegations of voter turnout manipulation.

(Video Editing: Lee So-young, Design: Cho Su-in)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.