Samsung Bribe Allegation

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The special prosecutors investigating the Choi Soon-sil influence-peddling scandal have requested an arrest warrant for Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Jay Y. Lee on charges of offering around 36 million U.S. dollars in bribes.

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An arrest warrant for Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Jay Lee was requested by the special prosecution team on January 16th. The prosecutors reached the decision after questioning Lee for nearly 23 hours and deliberating the matter over a period of three days.

[Soundbite] Lee Kyu-chul(Deputy Special Prosecutor) : "We have requested an arrest warrant on the charges of bribery, violation of laws in relation to the Act of Aggravated Punishment for Specific Economic Crimes, embezzlement and false testimony at the National Assembly."

The Samsung Group heir-apparent is being charged with providing or promising to provide around 36 million U.S. dollars in bribes to Choi Soon-sil in return for receiving government support to inherit the Samsung Group through a merger between Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries. The special prosecutors have concluded that President Park Geun-hye and her confidante, Choi Soon-sil, had shared the same financial interests, and that the Samsung vice chairman embezzled a part of his company's funds to provide bribes to Choi. The decision on whether or not to issue the arrest warrant for Lee will be made by the Seoul Central District Court on January 17th.