Leak of Evaluation Committee List and Cash Payments Confirmed
Two Civil Servants and Seven Company Officials Booked
Unfair dealings aimed at favoring a specific company were uncovered during the design competition process for the "Yeongsangang Exciting Zone Development Project" in Gwangju. Civil servants, evaluation committee members, and company officials were implicated and have been referred to the prosecution.
The Anti-Corruption and Economic Crime Investigation Unit of the Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency announced on November 3 that it has referred two Gwangju city officials (one team leader and one staff member) without detention on charges of leaking official secrets, obstruction of work, and violating the Anti-Graft Act. The police also referred five evaluation committee members and two company officials who participated in the competition on charges of breach of trust and bribery.
They are accused of leaking the list of evaluation committee members to outsiders, soliciting illicit favors, and exchanging money during the design competition for the Yeongsangang Exciting Zone between December of last year and February of this year, in order to ensure a particular company would win. Investigations revealed that some evaluation committee members received cash amounting to approximately 10 million won.
The police believe that improper dealings were facilitated through personal connections among civil servants, company officials, and evaluation committee members within the local community. However, no evidence was found of bribery involving the civil servants or involvement from higher-ranking officials.
The Yeongsangang Exciting Zone Development Project is a key initiative under the "Y Project," a major pledge of Gwangju's 8th popularly elected administration. In June, when the police raided city hall departments related to the project, Mayor Kang Gijung strongly criticized the police investigation in a public setting.
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