Deceased civil servant's lawyer claims coercive questioning took place
The special prosecutor investigating the ballot shortage and other irregularities that emerged during the June 3 local elections said Friday that the note left by a National Election Commission civil servant found dead contains "absolutely no mention of coercive interrogation."
The special prosecutor's team said in a public notice Friday that it "extends its deepest condolences" to the commission employee who died Wednesday, adding that it had reviewed the deceased's note through proper procedures "to prevent unnecessary controversy."
"There is absolutely nothing in the note indicating that coercive interrogation took place during the investigation," the team said. "On the contrary, it contained passages saying the writer bore no ill will toward the National Election Commission special prosecutor, as well as passages pointing to problems within the commission's organization." The team added that the investigation is proceeding on the basis of objective materials, including work logs with detailed entries already on record.
The team went on to say it would "continue to do its utmost to uncover corruption — including collusion with contractors and preferential contracts — and to clearly establish accountability within the National Election Commission."
Earlier, a Grade 5 civil servant with the National Election Commission was found dead Wednesday at an apartment in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. The official had been questioned by the special prosecutor's team Tuesday as a suspect on charges of occupational breach of trust and obstruction of bidding.
The official's lawyer issued a statement Thursday, saying the interrogators "had a predetermined conclusion and pressured the suspect into making statements accordingly," and that investigators "ignored the principle of voluntary questioning by invoking rules limiting late-night interrogations."
bell@heraldcorp.com
