The Joint Investigation Headquarters for Fact-Finding on Infringement of the People's Suffrage is investigating allegations that the National Election Commission steered work to certain companies during the procurement of election supplies.
On the 14th, the joint headquarters said in a media notice that it was conducting searches and seizures of the National Election Commission, the Seoul and Gyeonggi election commissions, and companies that participated in the bidding.
The National Election Commission sparked controversy after it became known that it had signed a total of 103 contracts with three companies in which a person identified as A, who worked as the NEC's political parties section chief, along with the person's spouse and son, participated.
The company where A serves as CEO supplied the "translucent in-district advance ballot box," which became controversial in the June 3 local elections, to the election commission. Later, defects were found in 790 advance ballot boxes produced by the company, and they were recalled.
The joint headquarters believes the company caused property damage to the election commission by supplying defective products and applied charges of occupational breach of trust and bid rigging to one company official and unidentified election commission employees.
Officials from the Seoul and Gyeonggi election commissions who took part as bid commissioners are also being searched.
The joint headquarters also booked company officials on charges of bid rigging in contracts for election supply services ordered by the Busan, North Gyeongsang, and South Gyeongsang election commissions.
So far, the joint headquarters has investigated the shortage of ballot papers related to the June 3 local elections, allegations of false input of turnout rates, and suspicions of junket-like overseas trips by former National Election Commission Chair Roh Tae-ak and others.