Special counsel to summon Samsung heir this weekend
Special prosecutors will summon the de facto leader of Samsung Group this weekend to question him for the first time since his arrest over a bribery scandal involving President Park Geun-hye, a spokesman said Friday.
Lee Jae-yong, who was formally arrested earlier in the day, will be brought to the special prosecutors' office Saturday, according to Assistant Special Counsel Lee Kyu-cheol, to face questioning over allegations he offered 43 billion won ($36.3 million) worth of bribes to Park's friend Choi Soon-sil in exchange for business favors.
Lee's arrest was approved by the Seoul Central District Court after the special prosecutors widened their investigation into his alleged bribery to include charges of hiding criminal proceeds and violating the law on transferring assets abroad. Their first request for his arrest was rejected by the court last month.
Prosecutors suspect Lee offered the bribes to Choi in exchange for the government's backing of a merger of two Samsung affiliates in 2015, which was seen as crucial to his taking over control of the group.
Lee's arrest is seen as a boost to special prosecutors' efforts to directly interrogate the president over her alleged involvement, although she has denied all charges and her lawyers made clear that the arrest has nothing to do with the ongoing impeachment trial.
Park was impeached in December for allegedly letting Choi meddle in state affairs and colluding with her to extort money from conglomerates. She currently awaits the Constitutional Court's decision on whether to oust or reinstate her.
Lee is the first chief of Samsung to be detained in a criminal probe. The spokesman said the prosecutors are likely to indict him near the end of their mandate on Feb. 28. (Yonhap)
-
护航孩子成长 解决职工后顾之忧How NASA locked Omicron out of its James Webb Space Telescope control roomFishing boat capsizes, leaving 4 dead, 5 missingLuxury goods imports from China to NK increased over past 3 years: dataAmazon Android Days sale 2024: Save on unlocked phones, tablets, and morePhilippines, S. Korea recall cooperation that forged 75 years of tiesThese 23 Trees Have Seen Some ThingsDani Alves faces sexual assault charge in SpainKamala Harris’ ridiculous problem with the political press.Windows 11 vs. Windows 10 Performance: Gaming and Applications
- ·高温难耐,工会驿站化身“清凉小屋”
- ·NK's Kim, Putin exchange congratulatory messages marking 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties
- ·S. Korean, Philippine FMs discuss stronger ties in phone talks
- ·Slack is about to TL;DR your lengthy work threads
- ·“新丰味”喜获中国首届县域品牌擂台赛十大营销创新品牌
- ·10 Stunning Feats of Edible Art
- ·Echo Buds deal: Echo Buds 20% off at Amazon
- ·N. Korea's Kim family spends up to millions of dollars per year on luxury goods: Seoul
- ·We Asked GPT Some Tech Questions, Can You Tell Which Answers Are Human?
- ·整合各方资源 服务社区居民
- ·Webb telescope spots proof of the first stars to light the universe
- ·These 23 Trees Have Seen Some Things
- ·Where to pre
- ·NYT's The Mini crossword answers for March 6
- ·Predators are growing hungrier in the rapidly heating ocean
- ·整合各方资源 服务社区居民
- ·多措并举优治理 绘就幸福新图景
- ·N. Korea touts Kim's leadership on 78th founding anniversary of ruling party
- ·Mass deportations of North Koreans cause tragic family separation
- ·What is Quantum Computing?
- ·18 Slightly Submerged Architectural Wonders
- ·Dive Into Diner History With These 9 Retro Restaurants
- ·The Ultimate Guide to the World's Food Museums
- ·9 Forgotten Black Enclaves That Offered Hope and Community
- ·“新丰味”喜获中国首届县域品牌擂台赛十大营销创新品牌
- ·Dani Alves faces sexual assault charge in Spain
- ·“笋货”上市采购旺!清远西牛麻竹笋迎秋季尝鲜热
- ·关注骨关节健康 切实服务广大病患
- ·Knives out for Klinsmann after S Korea's 'shameful' exit
- ·Best free AI and ChatGPT courses
- ·Klarna CEO reveals plan to reduce workforce by 50% and replace it with AI
- ·E. Jean Carroll Trump trial: There’s another defamation case coming. But E. Jean has already won.
- ·Best free online courses from Harvard University
- ·“讲村史 展村史 传村史”2023年多彩乡村 系列实践活动优秀作品、重点团队及 优秀组织单位公示
- ·This shark lives for centuries. Scientists discover how it resists aging.
- ·Wisconsin Republicans: Janet Protasiewicz impeachment efforts highlight hypocrisy.