Samsung heir Lee may face heavy sentence in S.Korean court
Seoul: South Korean prosecutors are set to seek an exemplary punishment for Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong in the last session of his appellate trial on Wednesday.
Special Counsel Park Young-soo in-charge of the case had earlier demanded 12 years for Lee and seven to 10 years for other executives involved in the largest scam that upset the ruling party and forced the country into fresh election.
The 49-year-old Lee, who heads the largest conglomerate in the country, received a five-year jail term on August 25 on the conviction of five charges, including bribery, embezzlement and hiding assets overseas, Yonhap news agency reported.
He was found guilty of providing $8.19 million in bribes to Choi Soon-sil, a long-time friend and confidante of former President Park Geun-hye.
Four former top Samsung executives -- Choi Gee-sung, former head of Samsung's now-disbanded control tower Future Strategy Office; his former deputy Chang Choong-ki; Park Sang-jin, a former president of Samsung Electronics; and another former President Hwang Sung-soo -- were also convicted of similar charges and sentenced to four years in prison or suspended terms. They have all appealed the rulings.
The Special Counsel was expected to demand heavy sentences for Lee this time again.
The prosecution accused Lee and the others for their involvement in offering bribes to Park and Choi to win government support for a key merger of two Samsung units.
The merger was seen as vital to his control of the business group in order to inherit the leadership from his ailing father Lee Kun-hee.
Lee was arrested in February. Park and Choi were facing separate trials over a string of charges in connection with the scandal that ultimately led to Park's ouster in March.
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Allahabad HC orders police protection to married couple apprehending 'honour killing'
Prayagraj (PTI): The Allahabad High Court has granted protection to a married couple who expressed fear that they may be killed by the woman's family.
The order was passed by a division bench comprising Justice JJ Munir and Justice Tarun Saxena on March 25.
"No individual can make an 'honour issue' out of a consenting adult marrying a person of their own choice. It is the state's duty to protect the life, limb, and property of such persons even against their own family members," the bench said.
The court was hearing a petition filed by Prachi Agrawal and her partner, who sought relief in connection with an FIR filed under Section 87 of Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for kidnapping, and abducting or inducing a woman to compel her marriage.
The couple submitted that they married at an Arya Samaj temple and possessed a marriage registration certificate issued under the Uttar Pradesh Marriage Registration Rules, 2017.
The petitioners alleged that the woman's family members were averse to their marriage and lodged a bogus FIR against them.
The couple further submitted a joint affidavit expressing apprehension of an honour killing by the woman's family.
The court said that a prima facie case was made out and issued notice to the private respondent and granted two weeks to file a counter-affidavit.
Meanwhile, as an interim measure, the court granted the petitioners protection from arrest.
The court also explicitly ordered the woman's family members and relatives not to harm the petitioners, enter their matrimonial home, or establish contact with them directly or through any electronic means.
The bench directed the Aligarh senior superintendent of police to ensure that no harm comes to the couple and posted the matter for hearing on April 8.
