Judges say no reason for Samsung arrest
SOUTH KOREA: A South Korean court declined yesterday to allow the arrest of Samsung’s de facto chairman for his alleged role in an explosive corruption scandal that has riveted South Korea.
The decision is a shocking one for prosecutors, who have accused Lee Jae-yong of bribery, embezzlement and perjury, although the court decided only that Lee did not need to be detained, not that the case had no merit.
It will also come as a surprise to a public clamouring for justice in the widening scandal, which has already forced the president out of office, at least temporarily. Protesters had been calling for Lee’s arrest.
Samsung welcomed the decision. ‘‘We appreciate the fact that the merits of this case can now be determined without the need for detention,’’ said Rhee So-eui, a spokeswoman company.
Judges in the Seoul Central District Court said they found no reason to issue a warrant for the arrest of Lee, who has been running South Korea’s largest conglomerate for almost three years while his ailing father, who officially remains chairman, lies unconscious in hospital.
Lee, who has vehemently denied being involved in any bribery scheme, had been waiting at a detention centre south of Seoul for some 18 hours while the court decided, apparently expecting to be arrested following a four-hour court hearing on Wednesday morning. for the
At that hearing, his attorneys argued against his arrest and detention while the investigation continued.
The widening corruption and influence-peddling scandal that has riveted South Korea and brought it to a political halt revolves around allegations of bribery and influence at the highest levels.
The National Assembly voted to impeach President Park Geun-hye last month over her alleged role in the case, leading to her suspension from office while the Constitutional Court decides whether to approve her impeachment. That decision could come next month.
Now, as Samsung’s flagship electronics unit struggles to emerge from its recall of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone last year, its leader is embroiled in the scandal. Special prosecutors appointed to investigate the case accused Lee of authorising at least US$36 million (NZ$50.4m) in payments to Choi Soon-sil, a confidante of the president who held no official position.
Choi allegedly put pressure on authorities to approve the US$8 billion merger of two Samsung units, part of a plan to strengthen the family’s hold on the group.
The National Pension Service, a major Samsung shareholder, is suspected of supporting the merger on Choi’s instruction. The head of the service, a former health minister, was indicted Monday in relation to the scandal. – Washington Post