The Special Prosecutor's team investigating various allegations of corruption and mismanagement within the National Election Commission (NEC) has uncovered additional evidence of fraud related to the delivery of election equipment and has initiated a forced investigation.
Beginning at 9:10 a.m. on October 30, the Special Prosecutor's team, led by Special Prosecutor Lee Tae-han, conducted searches at the NEC headquarters and the residences of two current and former employees suspected of wrongdoing.
A total of 17 personnel were mobilized for this operation, including two prosecutors assigned to the Special Prosecutor's team and five digital forensic investigators.
According to the Special Prosecutor's office, NEC officials are suspected of manipulating or disregarding the results of equipment performance evaluations (BMT) during the procurement of expensive election machinery. The investigation team found that more than half of the equipment delivered did not meet the required performance standards, yet the NEC approved it as compliant. This has led to the revelation that a total of 14 billion won worth of substandard equipment was delivered to the NEC.
This investigation is part of measures established under the Special Prosecutor Act to clarify allegations of infringement on citizens' voting rights, including the shortage of ballots during the 9th nationwide local elections.
The Special Prosecutor's team has been focusing on the overall mismanagement and corruption allegations involving current and former NEC officials and staff. They are expanding their investigation into various areas, including allegations of false reporting of real-time voter counts, bidding irregularities for voting supplies, and preferential contracts between local election offices and regional companies.
Based on the seized materials and analysis of digital forensic data obtained today, the Special Prosecutor's office plans to closely examine the circumstances surrounding the approval of the substandard equipment and any potential quid pro quo transactions.
A spokesperson for the Special Prosecutor's office stated, "Once we complete the analysis of the seized materials, we will sequentially summon the relevant individuals to uncover the substantive truth and hold current and former officials accountable for their responsibilities."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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