Samsung chief Lee handpicks 13 top lawyers to defend him
SEOUL: Samsung chief Jay Y. Lee has handpicked 13 top lawyers to defend him against charges of bribing the South Korean president, nearly all of them former judges or prosecutors, according to the court where one of the richest men in the country will be tried.
Lee, 48, was indicted by a special prosecutor’s office on Feb 28 on charges of bribery and embezzlement over his alleged role in the corruption scandal involving impeached President Park Geun-hye.
Four other Samsung executives have also been charged, a massive blow for the world’s biggest maker of smartphones and memory chips.
Described as the ‘ trial of the century’, court proceedings begin on March 9, and if convicted, Lee could face more than 20 years in prison. A verdict has to be delivered within three months.
Seoul Central District Court records showed that Lee has assembled a team of 13 outside counsel for his defence, 10 of whom work for Bae, Kim & Lee ( BKL) — the country’s second-largest law fi rm by headcount, and known for litigation expertise.
The firm has defended other heads of South Korean conglomerates, called chaebol, in high-profile criminal cases including SK Group chief Chey Tae-won and Hanwha Group boss Kim Seung-youn.
Kim was given a suspended three-year sentence after being indicted for embezzlement and breach of trust, while Chey was sentenced to four years in jail in 2013 for misappropriating company funds and served two years before receiving a presidential pardon.
According to South Korean media, two of the defence lawyers were considered for the special prosecution team they will now fight in court.
“In numbers we may be behind Samsung’s extravagant team of lawyers but in terms of our ability and what we’ve achieved so far, you don’t need to worry,” said a special prosecution official, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the case.
The special prosecution team will be led by Yang Jae- sik, an assistant counsel and a long-time prosecutor, the official said.
Samsung Group declined to comment on the legal defence team, but said it was formed by Lee personally. — Reuters