Samsung Chief Lee Jae-yong Faces Second Corruption Charges; Samsung Company on the Brink of Extinction?
ByProsecutors from South Korea summoned Samsung Chief Lee Jae-Yong yet again for another questioning regarding the influence-peddling scandal that challenged the administration of President Park Geun-Hye. The result could finally impeach the South Korean president and could interrupt the giant tech company's efforts to reorganize after the massive Samsung Galaxy Note 7 embarrassment. Will this finally shutdown Samsung?
Samsung Chief Lee Jae-Yong: Official Suspect
While Samsung is still picking up after the exploding battery scandal that nearly set it bankrupt, the company is sucked into another that has every potential to make it lose its market on an international scale. Samsung Chief Lee Jae-Yong will face South Korean prosecutors again. Lee is the primary suspect for allegedly paying South Korean president's friend, Choi Soon-sil, 43 billion won as a bribery to help the giant tech company in its 2015 merger, Reuters reported.
According to reports, Choi Soon-SIL, who is now under arrest, backed the merger when Lee shouldered the expenses of the equestrian career of Choi's daughter. The merger allegedly helped cement Lee's position in South Korea's largest business empire, Al Jazeera reported.
Lee is only a de facto head of the company after his father suffered a major heart attack that made him bedridden. Sitting as its head was largely opposed because of his lack of business experience.
Defunct President Park has been stripped off with her presidential power following an impeachment proceeding. The prosecutors have accused Park of letting her confidante Choi pull the strings and extort money from companies such as Samsung.
Lee was summoned Monday with two other Samsung executives. The company, along with Lee, its executives, Choi and even President Park have denied these allegations. That's why it's very important for the prosecution to be able to prove their association with the troubled South Korean president.
What's at Stake if Samsung Chief is Arrested
The prosecutors already sought the arrest for the Samsung Chief last month, but the courts ruled against it for lack of evidence. Now they are looking to make an arrest hopefully with the right amount of evidence to nail him behind bars.
An arrest on Samsung Chief Lee could affect the country's economy. Samsung will be left leaderless in a crucial time. It could create a serious leadership vacuum as the business conglomerate has been preparing for Lee's succession as its new chairman for decades.
This mess arrived with a very bad timing, Sam Mobile reported. Lee has been making bold moves to pull the company up again after the blow from the Samsung Galaxy Note 7. He's been selling off less profitable businesses and making some restructuring in the company.
If Samsung Chief Lee Jae-Yong will be arrested, his future as Samsung chairman might vanish. But justice is more important for the South Korean nation.