World
12:42, 30-Aug-2017
Unjust or too soft? Double appeal after Samsung heir verdict
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South Korea's special prosecutors have appealed a district court ruling on Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong, arguing that his five-year prison sentence for involvement in bribing former South Korean President Park Geun-hye was too light.
The move, first reported by Yonhap, counters Lee’s appeal against the sentence announced on Monday on the Seoul Central District Court’s website.
Special Counsel led by Park Young-soo said it will contest part of the verdict that found Lee innocent of some of the bribery charges, Yonhap reported.
South Korean protesters hold placards reading "Lee Jae-Yong Out" demanding punishment of the Samsung heir outside the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul on August 25, 2017. /AFP Photo
South Korean protesters hold placards reading "Lee Jae-Yong Out" demanding punishment of the Samsung heir outside the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul on August 25, 2017. /AFP Photo
Lee, a 49-year-old South Korean business magnate and the vice chairman of Samsung Group was detained in February on charges that he bribed Park Geun-hye to help him secure control of the conglomerate that owns Samsung Electronics, the world’s leading smartphone and chip maker.
Under South Korean law, Lee can be kept in detention for a maximum of four months while a court considers his appeal.
This means the appeals court that is assigned the case is likely to try to wrap up its ruling around January 2018, criminal lawyers not directly involved in the case told Reuters.
Samsung Electronics said in a statement that Lee will keep his status as a member of the firm’s Board of Directors “unless there is a final determination of guilt.”
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Source(s): Reuters