By Lee Kyung-min
The prosecution is seeking to prove three allegations to convict Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong of bribery, Monday.
Lee was indicted on Feb. 28 on charges of offering about 43.3 billion won ($38.9 million) in bribes to Choi Soon-sil, the longtime friend and confidant of former President Park Geun-hye. Samsung donated 20.4 billion won to the two foundations _ Mir and K-Sports _ set up and controlled by Choi, and signed a 21.3 billion-won contract to support Choi’s daughter Chung Yoo-ra, a dressage competitor.
The prosecution needs to prove that Lee gave the money to Choi and Chung with prior knowledge about Choi holding enormous sway with the former President.
Lee maintains that he only became aware of who Choi was in August last year, after the group’s two senior executives _ Park Sang-jin and Hwang Sung-soo _ informed him that numerous high-ranking culture ministry officials were dismissed due to Choi’s influence. The two executives became aware of the dismissal in July 2015 after Korea Equestrian Association head Park Won-oh, an associate of Choi, informed them.
The prosecution believes former President Park asked Lee to support equestrian competitors in order to support Chung, during a one-on-one meeting on Sept. 15, 2014. It also believes Park told Lee that she wished for the firm to resolve the power transfer issue under her administration at another such meeting on July 25, 2015. During this meeting, the prosecution said, Park scolded Lee for not supporting the equestrian sports as she had asked.
However, Lee rebuffed such claims as no one else was present at the meeting other than Lee and Park, adding that no statement was secured from Park afterwards due to her repeated refusal to submit to questioning. Lee has been flatly denying all allegations.
The prosecution will also refute Lee’s claim that he was not involved in supporting Chung and that other issues concerning her were managed solely by Choi Gee-sung, former Vice Chairman of Samsung’s Future Strategy Office.
The Seoul Central District Court will hold hearings three times a week every week on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, to meet the confines of the special law governing the investigation of the influence-peddling scandal involving Park and Choi.
The law stipulates that a district court rule within three months from the date of the indictment, meaning the ruling on Lee should be delivered no later than May 28.