Private Contract Signed with a Company for 1.36 Billion Won
The police have launched an investigation into allegations of preferential treatment for a specific company in the horticultural and special crop regional customization project in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province.
According to a comprehensive report by Asia Economy, the Nonsan Police Station announced on the 7th that it is investigating allegations of preferential treatment for a particular company in the Nonsan horticultural and special crop regional customization project.
The horticultural and special crop regional customization project was allocated 1.36 billion KRW last year, including funds from the South Chungcheong provincial government, to support local farmers in Nonsan by preventing continuous cropping obstacles and promoting crop growth. This project is supported by South Chungcheong Provincial Assembly members.
However, although the city was supposed to select a company transparently through a public contest, it signed a private contract worth 1.36 billion KRW with a single company, raising suspicions of kickbacks.
In addition, the public official in charge of the relevant department at Nonsan City Hall reportedly raised issues with the private contract with the specific company, refused to draft the project proposal, and at the time, the head of the department, concerned about potential disputes, received confirmation letters for project implementation from provincial assembly members.
The police are expected to focus their investigation on the process of private contracts and kickback allegations involving public officials, companies, and provincial assembly members as the city proceeded with this project.
A police official stated, "We cannot disclose specific details about the investigation."
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