Samsung group scion denies corruption charges as legal appeal nears end

SEOUL: The heir to South Korea’s Samsung Group, convicted of bribing the country’s former president, on Wednesday denied allegations of wrongdoing as the appeals trial of his five-year jail term for corruption neared its end.

Jay Y. Lee, the 49-year-old heir to one of the world’s biggest corporate empires, has been detained since February and was convicted by a lower court in August of bribing Park Geun-hye, who was dismissed as South Korea’s president in March.

The court decided the bribe helped Lee strengthen his control



of Samsung Electronics, the crown jewel in the conglomerate and one of the world’s top technology firms.

Lee, looking relaxed in a dark suit and white shirt without tie at the ongoing appeals hearing, denied this charge and also denied recent allegations that he had met Park one-on-one four times, instead of the previously disclosed three times.

The Seoul High Court is expected to rule on the appeal in late January. Whichever side loses could take the case to the Supreme Court, the final court of appeal in South Korea.