NEC refuses to comply with anti-corruption agency’s probe into hiring corruption allegations

The state anti-corruption agency said Wednesday the National Election Commission (NEC) is refusing to comply with an investigation into a hiring corruption scandal, urging full cooperation.

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission earlier announced it will look into all employment and promotion cases within the election watchdog over the past seven years following allegations of nepotism. Several children of former and current senior officials at the NEC allegedly secured agency jobs through their fathers’ influence.

“The NEC is not responding to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission’s investigation, citing the reason of its acceptance of an audit by the Board of Audit and Inspection,” Deputy Chairman Jeong Seung-yoon told a press briefing.

Initially, the NEC refused to comply with the BAI audit, citing its status as an independent agency but changed its stance and decided on Friday to accept the state auditor’s inspection.

However, the NEC clarified that it would only accept the BAI’s inspection regarding the incident while still refusing an audit of its overall activities. The NEC also announced its intention to file a petition asking the Constitutional Court to determine whether the agency is subject to a BAI audit.

Jeong said the anti-corruption agency will consider accepting the NEC’s refusal of its investigation if the election watchdog accepts the BAI’s audit on a full scale and gives up the constitutional petition for good.

The NEC, however, refuted the commission’s claim, stating the agency remains committed to cooperating fully in the investigation.

“It is not true that we are refusing the investigation,” said an NEC official who asked not to be named, adding that relevant data has already been submitted to the commission.