Police investigate 569 for election law violations

Police said they are investigating 569 people on charges of breaking the Election Law, Tuesday, just one week ahead of the May 9 presidential election.

Of the 530 reported cases, the majority were related to acts of vandalism ― 401 people in 392 cases allegedly damaged election-related property such as posters and banners.

Smear campaigning was the second-most-reported case with 68 people accused, followed by physical violence, distribution of handouts and premature electioneering.

Among the 569 people currently under investigation, four have been arrested.

Damaged election property has become increasingly noticeable since campaigns kicked off, April 17. Police are looking into vandalism incidents concerning 331 posters, 51 placards and 10 other electioneering trucks. Fifty cases of Election Law breaches occurred online, taking up 9.4% of the total.

In response to growing acts of vandalism during the election period, police have increased patrols near areas with political campaign posters and placards. It also vowed to take a tough stance against election law violations by holding heavy offenders in custody during investigation.