South Korean prosecutor expands charges against Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong

Lee, the third-generation leader of South Korea’s top conglomerate, has been identified as a suspect by prosecutors in an influence-peddling scandal that could topple the president

2-MIN READ2-MIN

Lee Jae-yong, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics. Photo: AP

Published: 4:00pm, 15 Feb 2017Updated: 9:55pm, 15 Feb 2017

South Korea’s special prosecutor’s office said on Wednesday it had expanded charges against Samsung Group chief Lee Jae-yong to include hiding the proceeds of a criminal act before it decided to seek a warrant for his arrest for a second time.

Lee, the third-generation leader of South Korea’s top conglomerate, has been identified as a suspect by prosecutors in an influence-peddling scandal that could topple President Park Geun-hye. He was questioned for more than 15 hours straight this week, his second marathon grilling in a month.

The decision to add extra charges, which included hiding assets overseas, was made after a Seoul court denied prosecutors’ first attempt to secure an arrest warrant for Lee last month, a spokesman for the special prosecutor’s office said.

“For three weeks, we secured additional evidence that we can be sure about, and after careful deliberation have requested [an arrest warrant] for the second time,” spokesman Lee Kyu-chul told reporters without elaborating.

Lee Jae-yong, co-vice-chairman of Samsung Electronics, arrives at the special prosecutors' office in Seoul on February 13. Photo: Bloomberg

South Korea’s special prosecutor has focused on Samsung Group’s relationship with Park, accusing Lee in his capacity as Samsung chief of pledging 43 billion won (US$37.7 million) to a business and organisations backed by Park’s friend, Choi Soon-sil, in exchange for support of a 2015 merger of two Samsung companies. Park, Choi, and Samsung Group have denied bribery accusations.

Park was impeached by parliament in December and South Korea’s Constitutional Court will decide whether to uphold that decision. She has been stripped of her powers in the meantime.