Samsung boss Lee awaits graft verdict
Heir to one of the world’s biggest corporate empires held on charges he bribed then president Park Geun-hye to help secure control of conglomerate
PULL QUOTE: Lawyers expect an appeal, which could go … to the supreme court, with a final ruling probably in 2018 Seoul — A South Korean court will rule on Friday on corruption charges against Lee Jae-yong, the billionaire head of Samsung Group, after a six-month trial in a nationwide bribery scandal that triggered the dismissal from office of the country’s president. Lee, the 49-year-old heir to one of the world’s biggest corporate empires, has been held since February on charges that he bribed then president Park Geun-hye to help secure control of a conglomerate that owns Samsung Electronics. Prosecutors have demanded a 12-year jail sentence, potentially the longest prison term given to a South Korean business leader, for Lee, who also faces charges of embezzlement and perjury. The third-generation de facto head of the powerful Samsung Group, Lee has effectively directed operations since his father, Lee Kun-hee, was incapacitated by a 2014 heart attack. Some investors worry a conv...
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