The vice chairman and heir to the Samsung Electronics conglomerate, Lee Jae Jr., has had a very tough few weeks. According to the original lawsuit, he was guilty of huge bribes that reached up to 1 billion crowns. He tried to bribe South Korean President Park Geun-hye's confidant just to get benefits. Today, a special prosecutor from South Korea confirmed that Lee Jae-yong will be indicted on bribery and other charges that include embezzlement and hiding assets abroad.
This is a formal charge against someone who is accused of doing something that is against the law. There is no official confirmation yet, as the court will rehear everything to reach a final verdict. However, the special prosecutor is convinced that he has strong enough arguments against the current leader of Samsung.
If convicted, Lee faces up to 20 years behind bars. However, the vice president denied any wrongdoing, as did the other accomplices. It is not yet clear when the trial will begin, but the special prosecutor's office will deliver a final report on the investigation as early as March 6.
However, this can have fatal consequences for South Korean society itself. Lee Jae Jr. has been behind bars for several weeks now, and his absence from the main seat is a bad influence for Samsung. The indictment means that the trial itself can last several years, and the vice president will probably remain in custody during that time. Based on this fact, he will not be able to lead the largest company in the world. For Samsung, this means that it will have to find a sufficiently high-quality replacement, which will not be easy at all.
