The North Gyeongsang Provincial Police Agency said Thursday it had detained and referred to prosecutors a former city hall secretary identified only as A, on charges of interfering in procurement contracts and accepting approximately 80 million won ($52,500) in bribes.
Police said they received a tip while gathering intelligence for a special crackdown on entrenched local corruption, indicating that A had begun soliciting kickbacks and accepting cash after being appointed as a city hall secretary.
Officers conducted search and seizure operations at A's residence and office, seizing roughly 70 million won in cash believed to be bribe money along with evidence related to the alleged crimes.
Police then executed an arrest warrant to take A into custody. A court subsequently issued a detention warrant, citing the seriousness of the charges and the risk of evidence destruction, and A was recently referred to prosecutors.
"Entrenched local corruption is a serious crime that undermines a fair social order and hinders regional development," North Gyeongsang Provincial Police Agency chief Kim Won-tae said. "We plan to intensify our crackdown to root out corrupt practices embedded throughout our communities."
kbj7653@heraldcorp.com
