The beleaguered nationwide governing physique of badminton has pushed again towards the embezzlement allegations just lately raised by the sports activities ministry, threatening to take authorized motion in response.
The Badminton Korea Affiliation launched an announcement late Friday, three days after the ministry of tradition, sports activities and tourism introduced interim outcomes of its probe into the badminton physique’s administration.
The ministry launched the investigation final month after An Se-young, the ladies’s singles gold medalist on the Paris Olympics, criticized the nationwide federation’s therapy of athletes and its total operations.
In saying interim findings, Lee Jung-woo, chief of the sports activities bureau on the ministry, talked about potential misconduct by BKA President Kim Taek-gyu.
Kim is suspected of main an improper distribution of 140 million received ($105,015) value of sponsored items with out following official procedures, main the ministry to consider Kim might need dedicated embezzlement and breach of belief, after which to report the case to the authorities.
On Friday, the BKA claimed the ministry did not have sufficient proof to carry such prices towards Kim.
The affiliation mentioned many of the items in query are shuttlecocks, and so they have been distributed correctly. It additionally denied prices that Kim had acquired any illicit kickbacks within the course of.
“To accuse a person of embezzlement and breach of belief with out definitive proof is clearly an act of defamation. We are going to completely maintain them legally accountable,” the BKA’s assertion learn. “Completely different establishments are taking pictures at us primarily based solely on a number of items of knowledge, reasonably than wanting on the total image of our coverage and guidelines. Since we’re totally cooperating with the ministry, we might wish to ask folks to chorus from making assumptions or criticizing us with out verifying information.”
Earlier Friday, 4 vice presidents of the BKA launched a joint assertion calling on Kim, govt director Kim Jong-woong and auditor Park Kye-ok to resign in gentle of the ministry’s investigation.
The 4 vice presidents mentioned allegations of embezzlement and office abuse towards Kim Taek-gyu and Kim Jong-woong have given the BKA a black eye, and mentioned Park ought to maintain himself accountable for failing to determine questionable practices on the affiliation.
