Yoo Byeong-ho Appears for Detention Hearing Amid Flawed Audit Allegations; Remains Silent

Yoo Byeong-ho, the former Secretary General of the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI), appeared before a court on July 20 for a detention review hearing concerning allegations of a flawed audit related to the presidential office's relocation during the Yoon Suk-yeol administration. He faces charges of abuse of power and obstruction of exercise of rights.

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It is regrettable that we have reached the point of requesting a warrant for the arrest of a current auditor, as we have detected circumstances where undue pressure was exerted on auditors who intended to conduct the audit according to law and principles, after receiving a request from the presidential office at the time.

The special prosecution team alleges that Yoo received requests from the presidential office, then a client institution, and exerted improper pressure on auditors who intended to conduct the audit according to law and principles. This pressure allegedly led to the effective suppression of the audit. Prosecutor Jin Eul-jong stated, "It is regrettable that we have reached the point of requesting a warrant for the arrest of a current auditor, as we have detected circumstances where undue pressure was exerted on auditors who intended to conduct the audit according to law and principles, after receiving a request from the presidential office at the time."

Yoo, however, has vehemently denied all accusations. Prior to his court appearance, he criticized the special prosecutor's investigation, stating, "The special prosecutor has created a fictional scenario, something that cannot be found even in movies, dramas, or martial arts novels, based on the routine daily work of the Board of Audit and Inspection, a constitutional institution." He further claimed that the investigation is attempting to construct a non-existent crime by mobilizing undue means, such as indiscriminate searches and summonses of related individuals.

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The special prosecutor has created a fictional scenario, something that cannot be found even in movies, dramas, or martial arts novels, based on the routine daily work of the Board of Audit and Inspection, a constitutional institution.

The investigation centers on the relocation of the presidential office and the former foreign minister's official residence. Concerns arose regarding the selection of construction companies and the execution of công costs. A citizen petition triggered an audit, which prosecutors believe Yoo manipulated. Specifically, the BAI reportedly recognized that an unqualified company, '21 Gram,' was involved in the overall residence construction, yet the audit report allegedly misrepresented this, stating the company only handled interior work. Yoo's defense argues that the BAI's actions were standard professional procedures.

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We believe that by mobilizing undue means such as indiscriminate searches and summonses of related individuals, they are trying to construct a crime that does not exist.