Special counsel says deceased NEC official's note cites no coercion
The National Election Commission in Gwacheon / Yonhap
A National Election Commission (NEC) official, who was found dead a day after undergoing questioning by a special counsel, did not mention any coercive interrogation by special counsel investigators in a note he left behind, the investigation team claimed Friday.
The NEC official, in his 40s, was found dead outside his apartment in Hwaseong, south of Seoul, on Wednesday morning. He left a suicide note, in which he reportedly expressed grievances over the questioning he faced the previous day.
The NEC official's lawyer, who was present during the questioning, earlier claimed that investigators had pressured and coerced the deceased and that there had been procedural shortcomings in drawing up his interrogation records.
The investigation team, led by special counsel Lee Tae-han, said it has checked the content of the deceased's suicide note through proper procedures, and confirmed that it did not mention any coercion.
The deceased rather mentioned that he did not hold a grudge against the special counsel, while only pointing out organizational problems at the NEC, the team added.
The special counsel team was launched on Sept. 7 to look into multiple allegations of misconduct involving the NEC, including ballot shortages and suspected manipulation of voter turnout data during the local elections in June.