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In the general elections on April 15, prison sentences were imposed on 60-year-olds who were brought to trial for conducting secret ballots. This is the first ballot theft conviction since the electoral system was introduced in Korea.
Part 13 of the Uijeongbu District Law Penal Agreement (Deputy Judge Da-ju Jung) sentenced his aunt (65), accused of violating the Law on Elections to Public Office and Night Intrusion Theft, to 2 years and June in prison.
The judge said: “What the defendant stole is not six votes, but electoral fairness, trust in public power and liberal democracy itself,” and said: “If this is neglected, it is necessary to produce a conspiracy and punish strictly.” .
When Mr. Lee delivered the ballot at that time to former legislator Min Gyeong-wook (now the power of the people), it was considered not to be a public interest report.
Lee was an observer of counts in Guri during the general election 4-15. The count took place in the Guri Gymnasium until dawn. Mr. Lee obtained six of the remaining ballots that the Guri Elections Management Committee kept in the exercise room on one side of the gym and gave them to Congressman Min.
Former legislator Min raised suspicions of vote rigging, saying it was evidence of a fraudulent recount. The NEC commissioned the prosecution to investigate and Lee was ultimately arrested.
The prosecution applied to Lee for violating the Public Officials Elections Act and burglary of intrusion in the night room. Nightroom burglary is the crime of entering a room or office run by someone else at night and stealing things.
The prosecution determined that Lee secretly entered the gym between April 15 and 16, while the ballot was being counted, and stole the ballot. However, Lee denied the charges in court, saying: “The ballot was given to an anonymous boxer who appeared to be an electoral clerk and he reported it to the National Assembly out of public interest.”
The judge did not accept all this. When Lee’s gene was detected in the ballot, the DNA was analyzed and the conditions before and after the count were compared in chronological order. I also took into account the possibility of contamination. Although the 8-hour CCTV video from the gym was played in court, Lee’s argument was not accepted.
The judge noted that “the defendant was aware of the fact that entry to the gym was not allowed at that time, and the defendant could not accept the defendant’s claim because there was no content in the video that he received a ballot from someone.”
Reporter Kim Ji-hye [email protected]
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