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| ▲ Rep. Park Beom-kye of the main opposition Democratic Party files a complaint against officials of the state audit agency at the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials headquarters in Gwacheon, just south of Seoul, on Oct. 12, 2022. (Pool photo) (Yonhap) |
opposition party-state auditor
DP files complaint against top officials of state auditor over probe into fisheries official's death
By Kim Na-young
SEOUL, Oct. 12 (Yonhap) -- The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) on Wednesday filed a complaint against officials of the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI), accusing them of working with the presidential office to launch politically motivated inspections.
DP officials filed the complaint with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials against BAI Secretary-General Ryou Byeong-ho and other officials of the audit agency as well as senior presidential secretary for policy and planning Lee Kwan-sup on charges of abuse of power and violating the BAI Act.
Ryou was caught on a press camera last week exchanging text messages with Lee on how the BAI will respond to a media report on the agency's inspection into the previous administration's handling of the death of a South Korean fisheries official killed by North Korea near the western sea border in 2020.
The messages were found to have been about a report by local newspaper Hankyoreh that the BAI launched the inspection without discussing the matter with the top decision-making body of the agency.
The DP also accused the BAI of conducting excessive inspections targeting public institutions headed by those appointed by the previous government. The audit agency also went too far with a demand for train ride records of about 7,000 public officials, the party said.
President Yoon Suk-yeol has denied the allegation that his office exerted influence on the BAI.
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