[Photo by Yoo Dae-gil =, dbeorlf123@ajunews.com]
The de facto head of South Korea's top conglomerate, Samsung, and four other group executives were among 18 people to be indicted Tuesday for their involvement in a corruption scandal that has led to President Park Geun-hye's impeachment in parliament, investigators said.
Samsung Electronics vice chairman Jay. Y. Lee was charged with bribing Park's jailed crony, Choi Soon-sil, a special investigation team said on the final day of its probe that began on December 21 at the height of massive anti-government protests. The team said 18 more people, including Lee, would stand trial with 13 other suspects indicted earlier.
The only son of Samsung Group's bedridden patriarch Lee Kun-hee, 74, became the first business leader to be tried in connection with the scandal. The junior Lee was arrested on February 17. He was accused of donating or pledging some 43 billion won (38 million US dollars) to Choi, who is on trial for meddling in state affairs and pocketing money from top conglomerates.
Samsung is suspected of bankrolling the equestrian training of Choi's 21-year-old daughter, Chung Yoo-ra in an attempt to facilitate the succession of group leadership.
The 18 included three doctors for providing unauthorized medical treatments to Park and a former university president suspected of offering favors to Choi's daughter. The announcement comes as Park's impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court entered its final stretch. The verdict is expected to come by March 13.
Park, who took office in early 2013 as South Korea's first female president, faces charges that she violated the people's sovereignty and the rule of law, abused her power, infringed on freedom of the press, neglected her presidential duty, and took part in other crimes.
Park has boycotted court hearings, insisting she was not involved in any wrongdoing. Her attorneys have questioned the fairness of the court's proceedings and want a retrial.
Lim Chang-won = cwlim34@ajunews.com
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
