Samsung heir convicted of bribery: Company’s future at stake

“As a legal professional, I can not possibly accept any part of the lower court’s guilty verdicts, in terms of interpretation of law and finding of facts”, said Wu-cheol Song, Lee’s lead defence attorney, in a statement issued to MobileSyrup.

Lee, 49, became the acting head of Samsung – which was founded by his grandfather – in 2014 after his father, Lee Kun-hee, suffered a heart attack. Two other Samsung executives were found guilty in the same trial and sentenced to four years in prison. Lee was accused of bribing president Park in return for her support a controversial merger between Samsung affiliates – something which is said to have helped Lee solidify his position at the top of the company.

South Korea’s bribery scandal takes another turn. Lee, who was represented by a team of 28 lawyers, has always professed his innocence and will appeal the sentence.

“The entire verdict is unacceptable”, said Song Wu-cheol, one of his lawyers.

Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong showed no particular reaction after his sentence of five years prison for bribery and other crimes was announced Friday. The ruling is also seen as a strong indicator of the likely outcome in the trial of ex-president Park, who is facing her own corruption trial, with a ruling expected later this year.

Following the charges, prosecutors had asked the court to announce a 12-year sentence for Lee Jae-Yong.

The charges levied against Lee mention a donation worth up to 41bn won ( £29m) to a non-profit organisation that was run by Choi Soon-sil, who is a friend of the former president. Naturally, Lee will appeal the case – which could drag the matter out into 2018.

Revelations of Lee’s attempt to bribe South Korea’s president to further his business ambitions fed public anger that led to the ouster of Park Geun-hye as South Korea’s leader.

Concluding a five-month trial, a panel of three judges found Lee, as well as four other leaders, to be guilty of paying bribes totaling 43.3 billion won (US$38.3 million).

There had been pressure on the court to convict Lee, amid public anger in the face of the corruption scandal, which people believe symbolises an unfair and unjust society that only benefits the most powerful in the country.