Yoo Byung-ho, a member of the Board of Audit and Inspection, is under investigation by the second special investigation team led by Special Prosecutor Kwon Chang-young regarding allegations of misconduct in the audit of the presidential residence construction. He stated, "They are constructing a non-existent crime through summons and investigation based on a fictional scenario."
The special prosecutor's office began questioning Yoo at 10 a.m. on July 13, as a suspect in a case of abuse of authority.
Upon arriving at the special prosecutor's office in Gwacheon at 9:58 a.m., he criticized the investigation, saying, "They are creating a fictional scenario that cannot even be found in movies, dramas, or martial arts novels, using unfair means to indiscriminately conduct searches and summons, thus constructing a non-existent crime."
He further asserted, "Those who abuse their investigative powers must be held legally and administratively accountable for all illegal and unjust acts under the fair and just legal order of the Republic of Korea."
Yoo is accused of improperly abusing his authority while serving as the Secretary General of the Board of Audit and Inspection during the Yoon Suk-yeol administration to conceal and downplay the audit results related to the relocation of the presidential residence.
After his election, former President Yoon Suk-yeol moved the presidential office to the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan and the residence to the former minister of foreign affairs' residence. Various allegations arose regarding the selection process of the construction company and the costs involved, prompting civic groups to request a national audit, which led to the investigation.
In September 2024, the Board of Audit and Inspection released a report on illegal allegations related to the relocation of the presidential office and residence and the use of funds. According to the report, in April 2022, the transition committee and the former minister of foreign affairs' residence were tentatively decided as the relocation site, and the interior construction company 21Gram was selected.
The report also noted that the presidential office requested 21Gram to include a small-scale expansion in the construction plans, and 21Gram sought the participation of WonDam Construction, which holds a general construction license, for the expansion work.
However, the special prosecutor's office suspects that while presenting WonDam Construction to create a legal facade, all construction work was actually handled by 21Gram, which lacks a construction license. They believe the Board of Audit and Inspection was aware of this during the audit process but intentionally concealed it, misrepresenting that 21Gram was only responsible for the interior work.
In a separate statement released that day, Yoo denied all allegations, asserting, "The audit of the residence relocation was the result of all involved personnel risking their positions to uphold the law and principles." He cited that the expansion work handled by WonDam Construction was less than 60 million won out of a total construction cost of 3.1 billion won and argued that the relationship between 21Gram and WonDam Construction cannot be legally viewed as a mere name lending.
He criticized the special prosecutor's office for inflating issues by isolating only a small part of the entire project.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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