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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CID to probe realtor murder case, says Karnataka Home Minister
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday said that he has directed the CID to probe the alleged kidnapping and killing of a real estate businessman from Anekal, whose body was found in neighbouring Tamil Nadu on March 9.
The minister was responding to a question raised by Congress MLA Pradeep Eshwar in the Legislative Assembly during zero hour.
"On the issue raised by the MLA, the police have already taken action. One person has been arrested, and the search is on for others. Based on the initial reports we have got, I have instructed that the case be handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department. The investigation will be done by them," Parameshwara said.
Demanding justice for the deceased's family, Eshwar earlier urged the home minister to hand over the case to the CID. "One person has been arrested and two suspects are still at large. They should be arrested at the earliest," he said.
Gopal alias Gopi was allegedly abducted on Sunday by a gang that intercepted his car near Karpur Gate. The assailants allegedly rammed his car from the rear and forcibly took him away in another car.
He was reportedly taken to a forest area near Denkanikottai in Krishnagiri district in Tamil Nadu, and was attacked by sharp weapons leading to death, police said, adding that the body was found on Monday.
Gopal's family members and relatives had staged a protest outside the Anekal police station, demanding the immediate arrest of all those behind the incident.
The police have arrested Mohan Babu, alleged to be the mastermind behind the crime, even as efforts are being made to nab his two associates who kidnapped Gopal. Business disputes and rivalry are said to be the reasons behind the killing.
