S.Korean authorities arrest Samsung heir over bribery allegations

Five days after summoning leader of Samsung Group Jay Y. Lee, heir to the Samsung company Lee Jae-yong has been arrested.

Jay was summoned for a second time by special prosecutors in South Korea for questioning on suspicion of bribery as part of its ongoing investigation into a political corruption scandal.

The arrest of Jae-yong makes him the first leader in electronics firm’s history to be held on criminal charges as part of a corruption probe which saw the impeaching of President Park Geun-hye.

Read also: S.Korea: Samsung leader summoned again by prosecutors over bribery

Jae-yong, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics and son of the Samsung group head Lee Kun-hee, is accused of paying nearly $40milliom in bribes to Park’s secret confidante to secure policy favours.

“It is acknowledged that it is necessary to arrest [Lee] in light of a newly added criminal charge and new evidence,” a court spokesman said in a statement on Friday.

The Samsung vice chairman is already being held at a detention centre after appearing the Seoul Central District Court which issued his warrant of arrest after a deliberation of judges.

 

 

 

 

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