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The suspect accused of installing illegal cameras at 41 polling stations nationwide is escorted by the police to attend a review of his arrest warrant at Incheon District Court on Sunday. (Yonhap) |
A far-right YouTuber arrested for installing illegal cameras at voting stations and vote-counting venues nationwide has been handed over to the prosecutors, police in Nonhyeon, Incheon, said Friday.
The police found that the suspect installed illegal cameras in a total of 41 locations and recovered the cameras at 36 locations through further investigations.
In three of the remaining five locations, the cameras had already disappeared. In the other two locations, the suspect confessed that he had removed the cameras himself after attempting to install them.
The cameras installed by the suspect were disguised as telecommunications equipment, in the shape of charging adapters with stickers bearing the names of mobile network companies.
The suspect in his 40s was apprehended on March 28 over allegations he had installed cameras at 41 locations, including early voting stations and vote counting venues designated for early voting, ahead of the April 10 general election.
According to the police, the suspect faces charges for installing illegal cameras inside polling stations in Seoul, Busan, Incheon, Daegu, and also in cities in Gyeonggi and South Gyeongsang Province.
When asked by local media as to why he had installed the cameras on Sunday, the suspect answered that he “wanted to check the number of voters,” as he had felt “suspicious about the significant disparities between (the outcomes) of early voting and the main voting.”
According to police, the suspect was identified as a far-right YouTuber who frequently raised suspicions regarding election fraud, such as proxy voting or vote-counting machines being manipulated. The suspect was also found to have installed cameras at early voting stations during last year’s by-election for the head of Gangseo-gu in Seoul.
Along with the YouTuber’s arrest, police officials also apprehended two others who are accused of being accomplices to the suspect and are also currently checking to see if there are any other accomplices.
“We considered charging the suspect in violation of the Public Official Election Act, but later determined that it is not applicable in this case,” said a police official on Friday. “The police plan to conduct further investigations to see if any other accomplices are assisting the suspect.”
