Audit agency sends 6 cases to NEC special prosecutor, urges swift investigation

The Board of Audit and Inspection has forwarded six cases of suspected criminal conduct — including bid rigging and improper sole-source contracts — to the special prosecutor investigating the National Election Commission, stemming from an audit into the ballot paper shortage that occurred during the June 3 local elections.

The board said Wednesday it had "prioritized and forwarded, as investigative reference materials, six cases deemed to require swift investigation — including bid rigging, improper sole-source contracts and improper inspection — related to the execution of key election-related budgets" to the special prosecutor's team.

The board had launched a review of the NEC's overall budget planning and spending — including ballot printing contracts — after the shortage emerged during the local elections. It then deployed 48 auditors from July 6 through Aug. 28 to conduct a detailed financial audit.

The board has yet to officially announce its final audit findings. Explaining why it referred the materials to the special prosecutor before finalizing those findings, the board said it "deemed it necessary to provide the relevant materials in a timely manner, given that the NEC special prosecutor has been launched, an investigation is underway, and the investigation period is capped at a maximum of 150 days."

It added that "the criminal charges in individual cases have not yet been confirmed," and that "specific details will not be made public, taking into account the relevant facts and the potential impact on the ongoing investigation."

The board also said it plans to finalize its audit findings "as soon as possible," covering sanctions against related contractors, accountability measures for those involved, and systemic improvements to the overall planning and execution of election-related budgets — separately from the criminal investigation.