HAMAN — Police have launched a search-and-seizure operation targeting Cha Seok-ho, head of Haman County in South Gyeongsang Province, who is suspected of taking part in recruiting members for a political party while serving as a public official. The move came five months after a criminal complaint was filed in May this year.
Investigators from the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crime Investigation Unit of the South Gyeongsang Provincial Police Agency began executing a search-and-seizure warrant at the county chief's office in the Haman County Hall at 9 a.m. on the 15th.
Cha is suspected of listing himself as a referrer to have dozens of Haman County residents join the People Power Party while he was serving as vice mayor of Jinju last year. He faces allegations of violating the Public Official Election Act and the Local Public Officials Act. The latter sets out the duty of political neutrality for public officials, barring them from encouraging or taking part in party membership drives.
The allegations surfaced in May, ahead of the June 3 local elections, when the South Gyeongsang chapter of the Democratic Party of Korea and others filed a complaint with police against Cha. Police booked Cha as a suspect after receiving the complaint and have been investigating him since.
Cha denied the allegations during the election campaign. "I never encouraged anyone to join the party, nor did I collect membership applications or submit them to a party," he said at the time.
A police official said it was difficult to disclose specific details of the allegations or a list of seized items because the investigation is ongoing.