Jeonnam Police Conduct Search and Seizure at Five Departments of Jindo County Office

Dispatch of Over 10 Investigators... Allegations of Budget Misappropriation for Water Supply Ship Construction Costs

Jeonnam police fisheries officers conducted a search and seizure at the offices of five departments, including the Jindo Port Development Division of Jindo County Office. / ⓒ Asia Economy

[Jindo＝Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Hyun] On the 5th, the Jeonnam Police conducted a search and seizure of Jindo County, which was accused of using the national treasury subsidy from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, originally allocated for the construction cost of a water supply vessel, to build a passenger ship.

The Jeonnam Police Agency dispatched about 10 investigators and has been conducting search and seizure operations since the morning at the Planning and Budget Division, Jindo Port Development Division, Construction and Transportation Division, Regional Development Division, and the Council Secretariat.

Through the search and seizure, the police are securing related materials such as instructions, plans, reports, and electronic information regarding the misuse of the water supply vessel budget for purposes other than intended.

Jindo County invested 2.7 billion KRW out of the 4 billion KRW received in 2016 from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s island development project budget for the construction cost of a water supply vessel, and built a 160-ton class car ferry in 2018.

In particular, despite the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport issuing a disapproval, Jindo County caused controversy by using the budget for purposes other than intended, claiming it was unavoidable to guarantee the mobility, survival rights, and life rights of island residents.

Accordingly, the Board of Audit and Inspection concluded the matter as ‘inappropriate’ through an audit and notified the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to prepare measures such as recovering the improperly executed subsidy.

Last year, some civic groups in Jindo County also filed a complaint with the prosecution against the county mayor and accounting-related staff, stating that “the arbitrary diversion of the subsidy for the construction of a water supply vessel to the construction cost of a multi-purpose passenger ship (car ferry), violating the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s disapproval notice, constitutes breach of duty,” and the Jeonnam Police Agency is currently investigating after receiving the complaint.

A police official said, “At the time of executing the water supply vessel budget, the employees are now scattered across several departments, which has increased the number of search and seizure locations,” and added, “We are focusing on whether the budget diversion was carried out under the mayor’s instructions.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.