Prosecutors' Office Raids Audit Committee Member Joeunseok's Office Amid Controversy Over Passing Former Auditor Jeon Hyun-hee's Report

Jo Committee Member "Report Released Without Final Review by Chief Committee Member"

The High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Unit (Hugoong) conducted a search and seizure of the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) in connection with allegations of targeted audits by the BAI. This is the second search and seizure following one last month.

Eunseok Jo, Audit Commissioner of the Board of Audit and Inspection.

The Hugoong Special Investigation Headquarters (Head Lee Daehwan) announced on the 17th that the search and seizure was conducted only at the office of Audit Commissioner Jo Eunseok, who was the lead auditor in the audit of former Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission Chairperson Jeon Hyunhee. Commissioner Jo was at the center of the 'passing controversy' during the BAI's disclosure of the audit report on former Chairperson Jeon.

Previously, Commissioner Jo raised concerns about the report disclosure process through the BAI's internal bulletin board. According to regulations, the lead auditor must review the final draft before its registration and disclosure, but he claimed he was not allowed to review it. After the BAI disclosed the service audit report on former Chairperson Jeon, Commissioner Jo posted a critical message on the internal network, stating that the report was made public without his final review as the lead auditor. However, the BAI Secretariat rebutted this, and the BAI concluded through an internal investigation that Commissioner Jo had engaged in illegal and improper conduct.

During the recent National Assembly audit of the BAI, the controversy over the disclosure process of the audit report on former Chairperson Jeon became a key issue, leading to disruptions starting with the problem of the attendance of audit commissioners including Commissioner Jo.

Last September, the BAI conducted a special audit on the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission. At that time, about ten items, including allegations regarding former Chairperson Jeon's attendance, were included in the audit scope. After the audit, in December of last year, former Chairperson Jeon filed complaints with Hugoong against BAI President Choi Jaehae, BAI Secretary General Yoo Byungho, and a senior official A from the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission. Official A was identified as the person who reported suspicions about former Chairperson Jeon to the BAI.