PROSECUTION SEEKS PRISON TERM FOR LEE

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The last retrial of Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong was held yesterday in Seoul. He was indicted for giving bribes to ex-President Park Geun-hye currently in prison. The special prosecutor demanded 9 years of imprisonment, claiming that Lee actively provided bribes for personal gains. Lee nearly broke in tears as he spoke of the late Lee Kun-hee and asked for leniency.

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Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong has been on trial for nearly four years for his alleged role in the bribery scandal involving ex-President Park Geun-hye. He showed up for the last retrial yesterday.

[Soundbite] LEE JAE-YONG(SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS VICE CHAIRMAN) : "(How do you feel ahead of the final trial?) ..."

The special prosecutor stressed that Lee used company money to bribe the former president for personal gains like the succession of the Samsung Group management right. He added that, according to the Supreme Court’s decision to send the case back to the lower court, Lee had actively provided bribes amounting to 8.6 billion won to ex-President Park. He also noted that Samsung’s internal compliance monitoring system cannot be an effective measure to prevent repeated offenses and the conglomerate’s ontribution to the Korean economy should not shield him from punishment. The special prosecutor went on to ask the court to sentence Lee to nine years in prison. Lee’s attorney said in defense that Lee should be sentenced to probation, not actual imprisonment. He claimed that the ex-president forced Lee to give her bribes and he received no preferential treatment in return. He even paid back all the embezzled company money. Lee’s attorney added that Samsung’s internal compliance monitoring system is by no means for show and the vice chairman is deeply remorseful. During his 19-minute final statement, Lee assured that he would never return to the past and he would turn Samsung into a company with the highest morality. He was also close to tears as he spoke of his father, the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee. The court will announce its verdict on January 18th.