Issued a Statement Urging Suspension of Targeted Audit
Announced Actions Including Reporting Involved Parties and Special Prosecutor Investigation
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] The opposition party has urged the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) to "immediately stop the targeted audit and political audit of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC)."
All members of the Democratic Party's Political Affairs Committee and Judiciary Committee issued a statement on the 18th, saying, "The BAI began a special audit of the ACRC on July 28, citing a tip-off related to the service discipline of Chairperson Jeon Hyun-hee, and has continued the audit since then."
They pointed out, "The BAI, conducting an unusual audit based on the absurd grounds of a minister's attendance, is not only doing that but is also forcibly digging up old issues related to former Justice Ministers Choo Mi-ae and Cho Kuk, on which the ACRC had issued legal interpretations."
They added, "Following an extraordinary audit just one year after the regular audit of the ACRC ended, the audit began the day after a ruling party lawmaker pressured Chairperson Jeon Hyun-hee to resign during the Political Affairs Committee's plenary session," and claimed, "It is clear that this is a targeted and political audit aimed at ousting the chairperson whose term is still ongoing."
In particular, they said, "There are even suspicions that this audit is being conducted based on a dark political connection involving presidential office officials, senior ACRC officials, and Yoon core aides (Yoon Seok-yeol’s key associates), as well as personnel dealings among them."
They stated, "The all-out political operation to drive out public officials with remaining terms constitutes illegal acts of abuse of power," and added, "The BAI, an independent constitutional institution, participating in commissioned and targeted audits 'to support the president' is an intolerable act that shakes the constitutional order."
They concluded, "All members of the Democratic Party's Political Affairs and Judiciary Committees are conducting a thorough fact-finding investigation into the targeted and political audits that threaten the very existence of the BAI, and will push for a parliamentary audit if necessary," and "We will respond with the strongest measures, including reporting to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) and special prosecutor investigations, against those involved from the presidential office, ACRC, and BAI who engaged in illegal acts."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
