Police Conducts 2nd Search And Seizure Amidst Reports Of Audio Recordings On "Produce X 101" Vote Manipulation

The police has confirmed that they conducted a second search and seizure of the CJ ENM offices amidst reports that a recording confirming vote manipulation was found on a staff member’s phone.

On August 19, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency confirmed that a second search and seizure of the CJ ENM offices had taken place on August 12. They stated, “We felt the need for an additional search and seizure for materials that were not secured in the first search and seizure.”

The police are said to be analyzing the phones of staff members, and has been collecting testimony from those involved in the production who were summoned for questioning.

This news comes amidst reports that the police have secured an audio recording on a staff member’s phone that directly refers to vote manipulation. The recording allegedly speaks of vote manipulations that took place, not just in the latest season, but previous seasons as well.

When asked for comment, the police stated, “Speaking about the progress of an investigation can be seen as a publication of facts about a suspected crime, so the police cannot give details at this time.”

Following the final episode of “Produce X 101,” where the final lineup of trainees who would debut as X1 was revealed, controversy arose as people began suspecting vote manipulations to change trainee’s final rankings. Although the producers acknowledged there were errors in the final vote counts, they claimed that the errors did not affect the final rankings. The controversy did not quell though, and Mnet requested that the police begin a formal investigation into the show. A large number of viewers have also filed a complaint against the program on allegations of vote manipulation.

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