South Korea prosecutor to summon Samsung’s Lee again on suspicion of bribery Reuters – WBNews

Samsung Group chief, Jay Y. Lee, is surrounded by media as he arrives at the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, South Korea, January 18, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji SEOUL South Korea’s special prosecutor said it would again summon Samsung Group scion Jay Y. Lee on Monday to question him on suspicion of bribery, as it investigates a graft scandal that has engulfed the country’s president. Last month, special prosecution officials questioned 48-year-old Lee for more than 22 hours straight, but a court rejected a warrant to arrest him in the inquiry into a scandal that led parliament to impeach President Park Geun-hye. Lee Kyu-chul, a spokesman for the special prosecutor, told a news briefing the office would decide later, possibly this week, whether to again seek an arrest warrant for Lee after he is questioned on Monday. The special prosecution team would also question two other executives of Samsung, the country’s largest conglomerate, on Monday, the spokesman said. The special prosecution had investigated further during the three weeks since the court rejected the earlier application for an arrest warrant, the spokesman added. “We are summoning Jay Y. Lee to check with him on our further findings,” Lee, the spokesman, said on Sunday. A spokeswoman for Samsung Group [SAGR.UL] declined to comment. Prosecutors have been investigating whether Samsung pledged to provide 43 billion won ($37.54 million) to a business and foundations backed by President Park’s friend, Choi Soon-sil, in exchange for support by the state pension fund for the controversial merger…more detail