[SBS Star] Police Secures Audio File of 'Produce X 101' Staff Discussing Vote Manipulation

Police discovered an audio file mentioning vote rigging on one 'Produce X 101' production staff member's mobile phone amid investigating into the audition program's vote manipulation allegations.

According to JoongAng Ilbo's report on August 19, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's cyber crime unit confirmed that they have found an audio file that directly mentioned manipulation.
The file in question reportedly mentioned the vote rigging of not only 'Produce X 101', but other past seasons of 'Produce 101' series.

With this evidence, police conducted a second search and seizure of CJ ENM headquarters on August 12.

Police are considering to add a charge of business obstruction to the production team, for them announcing the final rankings differently from what they should be.

When asked for a comment, police stated, "Speaking about the progress of an investigation can be seen as a publication of facts about a suspected crime, so we cannot give details at this time."
As previously reported, the controversy surrounding 'Produce X 101' began when a group of viewers raised concerns of vote rigging after the final results were announced.

At the time, the production team denied the alleged controversy, while many experts commented on how the numbers shown were nearly impossible to achieve.

(SBS Star)