LEE JAE-YONG ORDERED TO PAY FINES

[Anchor Lead]

A Seoul court has ordered Lee Jae-yong, the de facto leader of Samsung Group, to pay fines for the illegal use of Propofol, an intravenous hypnotic drug. But his release from prison on parole will be maintained.

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Samsung Electronics vice chair Lee Jae-yong was referred to trial on charges of habitually using propofol. On Tuesday, the Seoul Central District Court convicted him of violating the narcotics law, ordering a fine of 70 million won and a forfeiture of some 17 million won. The court said the sentence should reflect the gravity of the case and the high dosage of the drug involved, noting the defendant is a socially influential figure and should lead as an example in abiding by the law. The court also took into account Lee’s confession and that he has no previous record of the same crime. The court asked the Samsung heir to break free of propofol as well as to be a healthy and exemplary parent to his children. After the ruling, Lee left the court without responding to reporter questions about whether he would appeal. Samsung's de-facto chief was accused of habitually injecting Propofol dozens of times at a cosmetic surgery clinic in Seoul for non-medical purposes between January 2015 and May 2020. The prosecution initially sought a 50 million-won fine through a summary indictment, but later requested a regular court trial and larger fine after learning about the frequency of the drug use. Lee was released on parole in August from a prison sentence he received in a corruption case involving a former president. Heavier sentencing than imprisonment for another crime during the parole period revokes the previous release, but as Lee was handed a fine this time, his parole remains valid.