A court has rejected a search and seizure warrant targeting current and former senior judges, including Supreme Court justices, in connection with a ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections.
The special prosecutor's team led by Lee Tae-han said Wednesday that it had applied Monday for a search and seizure warrant against the National Election Commission and other entities to collect evidence, but the Seoul Central District Court denied the request.
The special prosecutor's team had been investigating whether criminal charges were warranted after finding that, since 2014, the National Election Commission chairperson had been paid 2.9 million won ($2,160) per month and non-standing commissioners 2.15 million won per month — covering meeting attendance fees, agenda review allowances and funds designated as "fair election promotion activity expenses."
The National Election Commission chairperson post is held by a Supreme Court justice, and some non-standing commissioners and regional election commission heads are also senior judges.
The allegations had not been addressed in the earlier joint police-prosecution investigation and were independently identified by the special prosecutor's team, which launched last month.
The court rejected the warrant application, saying the basic facts of the case appeared to have already been established and that the suspects seemed to dispute only the legal interpretation, adding that the search "would likely cause considerable disruption to the normal operations of the National Election Commission."
Noh Tae-ak, a former Supreme Court justice who served as National Election Commission chairperson during the June 3 local elections, has been booked on charges including violations of the Public Official Election Act and dereliction of duty in connection with the ballot shortage. He also faces allegations of taking a leisure trip abroad with his spouse under the guise of an official overseas visit.
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