Police investigating the ballot shortage that disrupted the June 3 local elections are moving to question election commission staff.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's wide-area crime investigation unit has asked employees at district-level election commissions where ballots ran out to come in for questioning and is coordinating schedules, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Investigators plan to call them in as reference witnesses and review their communications with the National Election Commission and the Seoul Election Commission on election day, along with how ballots were prepared and distributed.
The unit took on the case June 4 and within five days had completed questioning of complainants, citizens who were unable to vote due to the shortage, and district office civil servants mobilized for election duties.
Investigators are now pushing ahead with questioning of election commission staff as the next step.
The move is seen as an effort to build momentum ahead of the imminent launch of a joint investigation task force of prosecutors and police, established at the direction of President Lee Jae-myung.
Police are expected to coordinate with prosecutors Tuesday on personnel to be assigned to the joint task force. They plan to advance the investigation as far as possible before the task force becomes operational.
"Until the joint investigation task force is fully up and running, police will proceed with all necessary investigative steps as swiftly as possible and in accordance with proper procedure," a unit official said.
husn7@heraldcorp.com
