Special investigation of the National Election Commission "We also discovered circumstances of tax evasion by bidding corruption companies"... Request for tax audit

At least 5 companies, including 'operated by former employees', that produce early voting boxes and polling place notices

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Choi Won-jeong = The National Election Commission's special prosecutor team, Lee Tae-han, additionally detected tax evasion by companies suspected of corruption in the bidding for election supplies and requested a prompt tax investigation from the National Tax Service.

The special investigation team announced on the 18th that it had confirmed circumstances in which the companies violated the Tax Offenders Punishment Act by inviting companies that participated as 'bridesmaids' during the bidding process into fictitious transactions and only exchanging false tax invoices without actual transactions.

The special prosecutor's team believed that they were trying to evade taxes by sharing profits with sidekick companies, and on the 16th, they requested the National Tax Service to conduct an investigation more quickly than usual and return the results and supporting data by December 15th.

For violations of the Tax Criminal Punishment Act, the National Tax Service has the exclusive right to file charges, so prosecutors cannot file charges without a complaint from the Commissioner of the National Tax Service, the head of the Regional Tax Office, or the head of the tax office.

It was found that more than five companies, including a ballot box manufacturing company run by former National Election Commission employee A, are suspected of tax evasion.

Mr. A, a former head of the political party division of the National Election Commission, is accused of winning the bid (obstruction of bids) by appointing a sidekick company in the National Election Commission's bid to select a supplier of early voting boxes for the June 3 local elections.

The National Election Commission is suspected of having signed a total of 103 contracts with three companies related to Mr. A and his spouse and son, forming the so-called 'Sunfia (NEC mafia) cartel.'

The contract size amounts to 17.5 billion won, of which 90 are private contracts.

The special prosecutor's team is said to have detected suspicions of tax evasion at Company B, a polling station equipment set manufacturing company that conducted a surprise search and seizure on the 14th.

Company B signed a contract worth a total of 5 billion won with the National Election Commission for the 21st presidential election last year and this year's local elections, including polling place notices, vests for voting guides, and various stickers and stationery.

Company B is said to have won the contract even though it offered a higher price than two other companies during the bidding process.

The special investigation team believes that the National Election Commission employees accepted Company B's request and carried out the bidding process unfairly, such as appointing additional evaluators and manipulating the score calculation method.