Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon again denied having a supporter pay for polling on his behalf ahead of the 2021 mayoral race.

Oh made the statement on Monday after being indicted by the special counsel team investigating former first lady Kim Keon-hee for violations of the Political Funds Act.

The mayor said prosecutors lacked proper evidence.

He claimed that the ruling Democratic Party and power broker Myung Tae-kyun had joined forces with the special counsel team in an effort to get rid of him, but that such efforts would fail.

Authorities say Oh had business associate Kim Han-jung pay Myung 33 million won, or more 22-thousand U.S. dollars, to carry out opinion polls for his campaign prior to the 2021 municipal elections.