The heir to the huge Samsung business empire appeared in court Friday at the start of his trial for embezzlement and perjury, part of a corruption scandal that brought down South Korea’s president.
SEOUL: The heir to the huge Samsung business empire appeared in court Friday (Apr 7) at the start of his trial for embezzlement and perjury, part of a corruption scandal that brought down South Korea’s president.
Lee Jae-Yong, the vice-chairman of Samsung Electronics, was brought into the Seoul Central District Court bound and handcuffed.
Lee, who was arrested in February, has been charged with paying nearly US$40 million to the now-impeached president’s close friend Choi Soon-Sil, allegedly as bribes to secure policy favours.
Four other Samsung executives have also been charged.
Special Prosecutor Park Young-Soo said in his opening statement that Lee’s case is «one of the most deep-rooted and typical cases involving unhealthy relations between politicians and businessmen».
«In the course of providing bribes, Lee Jae-Yong embezzled company money, illegally diverted domestic assets abroad, hid illegally-earned incomes and committed perjury at parliament, » the prosecutor said.
«The Choi case has left a deep scar in history but it has also provided momentum to re-establish the rule of laws by dint of people’s power, » the prosecutor said.
Ousted president Park Geun-Hye was thrown into jail last week after a court ordered her arrest in connection with the sweeping corruption scandal that brought millions of people onto the streets and saw her impeached.
