South Korean prosecutors are seeking a 12-year prison sentence for Samsung’s billionaire heir Lee Jae-yong, fuelling analysts’ doubts about whether Mr Lee should have anything more to do with management of the group.
The prosecutors’ recommendation came on the last day of the four-month-long trial revolving around a corruption scandal that led to the impeachment of president Park Geun-hye and Mr Lee’s indictment for bribery, embezzlement and other offences. Mr Lee was in tears on Monday, denying the charges.
Prosecutors are also seeking seven to 10-year jail sentences for four other senior executives of Samsung, who resigned after being embroiled in the scandal. They say that Samsung offered $38m in bribes to Ms Park and her confidante to secure government help in strengthening Mr Lee’s control over the country’s largest family-run conglomerate.