Samsung heir Lee may be arrested soon on new corruption charges
Lee Jae-yong, Samsung Electronics vice chairman and the de facto leader of the Samsung Group conglomerate, may soon find himself back in jail. Prosecutors are seeking an arrest warrant against Lee, known as Jay Y. Lee in the West, arguing that he should be detained while they investigate new allegations against him.
The new legal controversy involves the 2015 merger of two Samsung Group companies, Cheil Industries and Samsung C&T. Lee is accused of accounting fraud that allegedly could have helped him gain more power over the sprawling chaebol. Samsung last week said it was “beyond common sense” to suggest that Lee was directly involved, according to Reuters.
Lee attended a hearing this morning in Seoul and is currently waiting to find out if he will be re-arrested. Courts can order detention of up to 20 days before prosecutors need to file charges, at which point the suspect can be held for up to six months. A decision is expected today or tomorrow.
This won’t be an unfamiliar process for Lee, nor will it be the end of his legal troubles if the prosecutors’ request is denied. The Samsung scion spent almost a year in jail after being arrested in February 2017 and ultimately found guilty for his role in the seismic corruption scandal that took down South Korea’s former president Park Geun-hye. Lee was released on appeal, although the Supreme Court later ordered a retrial that is yet to take place.
Lee Jae-yong, Samsung Electronics vice chairman and the de facto leader of the Samsung Group conglomerate, may soon find himself back in jail. Prosecutors are seeking an arrest warrant against Lee, known as Jay Y. Lee in the West, arguing that he should be detained while they investigate new allegations…
Recent Posts
- Amazon expands enterprise AI play with wider availability of its Q chatbot
- YouTube TV on Android introduces new Multiview feature – here’s how to use it
- Prime Video movie of the day: Road House is an action-packed remake of the ’80s cult classic
- CBP is interrogating TikTok employees
- The European Union is investigating Meta’s election policies
Archives
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- December 2011