▲ A model of an indigenous Aegis-equipped destroyer to be built by Hyundai Heavy Industries is seen on display. (Yonhap)

police raid-defense project

Police raid arms procurement agency over suspected corruption in Aegis destroyer project

SEOUL, Aug. 17 (Yonhap) -- Police on Thursday raided the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), as part of their investigation into allegations of possible corruption in the process of selecting Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. as the preferred bidder for an indigenous Aegis-equipped destroyer development project in 2020.

The Korean National Police Agency sent investigators to the DAPA headquarters at the Gwacheon Government Complex, just south of Seoul, in the morning to search the DAPA department in charge of the Korea Destroyer Next Generation (KDDX) project to build the next-generation 6,000 ton-class destroyer.

They reportedly seized the KDDX-related bidding documents based on suspicions that a high-ranking DAPA official changed the bidding-related regulation in favor of Hyundai Heavy.

At that time, Hyundai Heavy beat rival bidder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. by a margin of just 0.056 points. Police suspect that the DAPA official deleted a regulation that specifies penalty points for bidders involved in security breach incidents. Hyundai Heavy was once involved in a KDDX secret leak case involving a former Navy officer.

The DAPA had denied the suspicion saying the concerned bidding regulation was not deleted.

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