The Special Prosecutors' Team, led by Kwon Chang-young, is seeking to secure the arrest of Yoo Byung-ho, an auditor with the Board of Audit and Inspection, over allegations related to the inadequate audit of the presidential residence move.
On the afternoon of July 14, the special prosecutors announced through a media release that they have requested an arrest warrant for Yoo on charges of abuse of power during the audit process concerning the residence move.
Yoo, who served as the Secretary General of the Board of Audit and Inspection during the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, is accused of improperly using his authority to downplay and conceal the audit results related to the presidential residence move.
After taking office, President Yoon relocated 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 public audit, which initiated the investigation.
In September 2024, the Board of Audit and Inspection released a report titled 'Audit Report on Illegal Allegations Related to the Presidential Office and Residence Move and Cost Usage.' According to the report, the transition committee provisionally decided in April 2022 to use the former minister of foreign affairs' residence as the new presidential residence and selected 21Gram as the interior construction company.
The report also noted that the presidential office requested 21Gram to recruit a company qualified for the expansion work, which included small-scale construction in the project plans. 21Gram then asked WonDam Construction, a company with a general construction license, to participate in the expansion work.
However, the special prosecutors suspect that the use of WonDam Construction was merely a facade to create a legal appearance, while 21Gram, which lacked a construction license, actually handled all the work. They believe the Board of Audit and Inspection became aware of this during the audit process but intentionally concealed it, misrepresenting that 21Gram was only responsible for the interior work.
On the afternoon of July 14, the special prosecutors announced through a media release that they have requested an arrest warrant for Yoo on charges of abuse of power during the audit process concerning the residence move.
Yoo, who served as the Secretary General of the Board of Audit and Inspection during the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, is accused of improperly using his authority to downplay and conceal the audit results related to the presidential residence move.
After taking office, President Yoon relocated 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 public audit, which initiated the investigation.
In September 2024, the Board of Audit and Inspection released a report titled 'Audit Report on Illegal Allegations Related to the Presidential Office and Residence Move and Cost Usage.' According to the report, the transition committee provisionally decided in April 2022 to use the former minister of foreign affairs' residence as the new presidential residence and selected 21Gram as the interior construction company.
The report also noted that the presidential office requested 21Gram to recruit a company qualified for the expansion work, which included small-scale construction in the project plans. 21Gram then asked WonDam Construction, a company with a general construction license, to participate in the expansion work.
However, the special prosecutors suspect that the use of WonDam Construction was merely a facade to create a legal appearance, while 21Gram, which lacked a construction license, actually handled all the work. They believe the Board of Audit and Inspection became aware of this during the audit process but intentionally concealed it, misrepresenting that 21Gram was only responsible for the interior work.
Previously, in May, the special prosecutors conducted searches of the Board of Audit and Inspection and Yoo's office to secure related documents. They subsequently summoned officials from the Board to investigate the circumstances surrounding the report's preparation and directives. The day before, they had summoned Yoo as a suspect for questioning.
Upon arriving at the special prosecutors' office in Gwacheon, Yoo stated, "The audit of the residence move was carried out with the utmost effort by all staff to uphold the law and principles, risking their positions," and he completely denied the allegations.
He further claimed, "The special prosecutors are creating a fictional scenario that could be found in movies, dramas, or martial arts novels, using unjust means to indiscriminately conduct searches and summons, constructing a crime that does not exist."
Meanwhile, on June 16, the special prosecutors sought an arrest warrant for a current Board official who oversaw the audit process, citing charges of falsifying official documents, but the court rejected the warrant request, resulting in a failure to secure the individual.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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