청와대 한 고위공무원이 한 관계부처에게 법인카드를 건네받고 이를 부하직원이 활동비로 쓰도록한 사실이 드러나 논란이 되고있다.
3일 세계일보는 청와대 민정수석실이 지난 10월 미래전략수석 산하 기후환경비서관실 A 선임행정관 (국장급)의 비위 의혹을 조사하던 중 이 같은 사실을 확인했다고 보도했다.
A 국장은 직속상관인 B비서관으로부터 이 카드를 받아 총 165만 5100원을 사용했으며, 해당 카드의 발급기관은 환경부였다고 이 신문은 전했다.
그러나 B비서관에게 어떤 징계가 내려졌는데 확인되지 않고 있고, A 국장은 다른 비위 사실들에 대한 책임을 물어 전부처로 복귀 조치를 받았다고 알려져 있어 청와대가 납득할 만한 조치를 취하지 않다는 논란이 커질 것으로 보인다.
이에 대해 민경욱 대변인은 “지금은 할 수 있는 말이 없다"며 “(청와대가) 고민하고 있다”고 말했다.
(코리아헤럴드 조정은 기자)
<관련 영문 기사>
Presidential secretary accused of receiving perks: report
A Cheong Wa Dae senior official is under scrutiny for allegedly using a credit card issued and paid for by the Ministry of Environment in exchange for accepting administrative favors.
According to Segye Ilbo, a local vernacular daily, a presidential secretary for climate and environment was found to have accepted the credit card from the ministry through an internal probe conducted by Cheong Wa Dae’s civil affair office. The presidential secretary delivered the credit card to one of the administrative staff at his office in May last year, saying he might need it and encouraged him to use it whenever he meets people outside of Cheong Wa Dae, the report said. The presidential staffer allegedly used a total of 1.65 million won on the credit card, it added.
Presidential spokesman Min Kyung-wook told reporters on Thursday that he is currently checking facts. He didn’t deny the report itself.
The report is the latest scandal involving presidential officials allegedly receiving customary sponsorships from related government offices. The scandal reflects how officials at ministries have been attempting to ingratiate themselves with Cheong Wa Dae staffers to get promoted or to ask for other favors, the report said.
The report added that the civil affairs office had suggested high ranking officials hand out a disciplinary warning to the presidential secretary and order the environment ministry to check how credit cards issued in its name are being used and managed. It is unknown whether the presidential secretary faced any disciplinary action. The presidential secretary was not available to answer.
Controversy is growing over whether Cheong Wa Dae had tried to conceal the scandal and if the level of disciplinary action was appropriate. The report said the presidential office has already found other cases of officials receiving “sponsorship” from related ministries and then tried to cover up the incidents by ordering them to return to their previous position at government offices before entering Cheong Wa Dae.
The Board of Audit and Inspection, the nation’s top government watchdog, said inevitably those who are related in the scandal will be punished if the report turns out to be true.
By Cho Chung-un (
christory@heraldcorp.com)
