The prosecution is conducting a search and seizure of Taean County Office and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in connection with the 'Anmyeondo Solar Power Plant Corruption Allegations.'
The Seoul Northern District Prosecutors' Office National Financial Crime Joint Investigation Team (Head: Chief Prosecutor Yoo Jin-seung) announced that from 9 a.m. on the 28th, it is carrying out a search and seizure of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and Taean County Office regarding the Anmyeondo solar power corruption allegations in Taean County, Chungnam.
The Board of Audit and Inspection detected signs of collusion and corruption between a private company and officials from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy during the approval process of the Anmyeondo solar power plant, the largest scale in Korea led by the private sector, and requested an investigation by the prosecution last month.
According to the Board of Audit and Inspection, a representative of private company A faced difficulties in converting one-third of the land, which is grassland, due to opposition from Taean County Office while promoting the Anmyeondo power plant construction plan in December 2018. According to the Grassland Act, converting grassland for purposes other than grassland requires the approval of the head of the local government.
In response, the representative of company A met with a Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy official and requested facilitation of the grassland conversion. In January 2019, the Ministry official decided to interpret the solar power plant as an important industrial facility and issued an official document without proper authority, according to the Board of Audit and Inspection. Subsequently, Taean County Office changed its stance and approved the grassland conversion based on this.
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