Samsung chief arrested in corruption investigation

Samsung’s de facto leader Lee Jae-yong has been arrested for bribery, embezzlement and perjury in connection with South Korea’s corruption scandal rocking the highest levels of power in the country, dealing a fresh blow to the world's biggest maker of smartphones and memory chips.

48-year-old Lee is a suspect in the influence-peddling scandal that led parliament to impeach President Park Geun-hye in December, a decision that if upheld by the Constitutional Court would make her the country's first democratically elected leader forced from office.

Lee, scion of the country's richest family, was taken into custody at the Seoul Detention Centre on Friday after waiting there overnight for the decision.
Friday’s 5.30am ruling came more than 10 hours after the end of a lengthy court hearing on whether to issue an arrest warrant. The judge rejected prosecutors’ request to arrest Park Sang-jin, the president of Samsung Electronics who was involved in arranging Samsung’s financial support for Ms Park’s shadowy “shaman adviser”, saying he simply followed Mr Lee’s order.

Prosecutors have up to 10 days to determine whether to indict Lee before they wrap up their investigation at the end of this month.

No decision had been made on whether Lee's arrest would be contested or whether bail would be sought, a spokeswoman for Samsung Group said.

Samsung and Lee have denied wrongdoing in the case.

"We will do our best to ensure that the truth is revealed in future court proceedings," the Samsung Group said in a brief statement after Lee's arrest.

The same court had rejected a request last month to arrest Lee, but prosecutors on Tuesday brought additional accusations against Lee, seeking his arrest on bribery and other charges.

"We acknowledge the cause and necessity of the arrest," a judge said in his ruling.

The judge rejected the prosecution's request to arrest Samsung Electronics president Park Sang-jin.