Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong denied bribery allegations in a South Korean court on Friday, Yonhap News Agency reported.
The heir to the Samsung Group, dressed in a dark gray suit and handcuffed, appeared grim-faced in the Seoul Central District Court as he went on trial for his alleged role in the corruption scandal involving ousted president Park Geun-hye and her longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil.
He attended his first trial as a criminal suspect together with other senior executives from Samsung Group, the biggest family-controlled conglomerate in South Korea.
Lee is charged with donating tens of millions of US dollars to two nonprofit foundations controlled by Choi, who is at the center of the corruption scandal that brought an end to Park's political career.
Lee Jae-yong, co-vice chairman of Samsung Electronics (center) is escorted by prison officers as he arrives at the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, South Korea, on Friday, April 7, 2017. /CFP Photo
Choi and Park, who are now in custody, have been identified by prosecutors as accomplices. Park was impeached on March 10 and taken into custody three weeks later.
Samsung's donations to the Choi-controlled foundations are suspected to have been made in return for support for the merger of two Samsung affiliates in July 2015.
The merger between Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries was important for 48-year-old Lee to inherit management control from his ailing father Chairman Lee Kun-hee, who has been in hospital for almost three years.
Samsung also provided financial assistance for equestrian training for Choi's daughter, while offering millions of euros to a German company owned by Choi.
Lee's legal team has claimed no quid pro quo in the donations, saying the bribery charge was based on bias and guesswork.
The Seoul Central District Court also questioned Lotte chairman Shin Dong-bin over the corruption scandal on the same day.
(Source: Xinhua, Yonhap)
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