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South Korean court approves arrest of Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong

Samsung photography from Mobile World Congress

A South Korean judge has approved the arrest of Samsung Electronics vice chairman Lee Jae-yong, according to the Wall Street Journal.

South Korean federal prosecutors sought Lee, the heir apparent to the entire Samsung empire, in connection to the country’s ongoing corruption scandal involving disgraced president Park Guen-hye.

Lee is accused of giving $36 million USD in bribes to President Park Geun-hye, as well as her close associate, Choi Soon-sil.

Once Lee is arrested, prosecutors have 21 days to formally press charges against him.

Prosecutors first sought an arrest warrant for Lee on January 16th. Citing a lack of evidence, however, a Korean federal judge denied the request, saying in defence of his decision, “it is difficult to acknowledge the necessity and substantiality of an arrest at the current stage.”

Source: Wall Street Journal

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