Lee Jae-yong, the scion of the Samsung dynasty and the most powerful tycoon in South Korea, was found guilty Friday for his part in a sensational corruption scandal that had already brought down a president.
Lee, who is 49 and had been in detention since February, was sentenced to five years in prison – far less than the 12 years special prosecutors had asked for, but still an astounding turn of events even after the turmoil of the last year.
Lee was found guilty on all five charges: bribery, embezzlement, illegally transferring assets overseas, concealing criminal proceeds and perjury. All the charges related to “Choi-gate,” the corruption scandal that led to the impeachment of Park Geun-hye as president in March.
(c) 2017, The Washington Post · Anna Fifield
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