A South Korean judge questioned Samsung Group leader Jay Y. Lee behind closed doors on Wednesday to decide whether he should be arrested over his alleged role in a corruption scandal that led parliament to impeach President Park Geun-hye.
Lee, 48, in dark overcoat and purple necktie, did not answer questions from reporters as he left the Seoul Central District Court after the nearly four-hour hearing and headed by car to a detention centre to await his fate.
One of the five attorneys representing Lee struck a positive tone, saying the legal team had argued its case sufficiently.
"We are confident the court will make a wise decision," attorney Song Wu-cheol told reporters.
The special prosecutor's office on Monday said it would seek a warrant to arrest the third-generation leader of the country's largest conglomerate on suspicion of bribery, embezzlement and perjury.
Lee, who has been the de facto leader of South Korea's biggest conglomerate since his father Lee Kun-hee was incapacitated by a 2014 heart attack, was questioned last week for 22 straight hours at the prosecutor's office in Seoul.
He has denied wrongdoing.
Park, 64, was impeached last month by parliament over the influence-peddling scandal, a decision that if upheld by the Constitutional Court will see her become the country's first democratically-elected leader forced from office early.
Park, who remains in office but stripped of her powers while the court decides her fate, has denied wrongdoing.
The judge may not announce his decision on the arrest warrant for Lee until after midnight, a court official told Reuters on Tuesday. The court ordered Lee to be held at the Seoul Detention Centre, a half-hour drive away, while it reviews the warrant request.
The special prosecutor has accused Lee of paying bribes totalling 43 billion won ($36.70 million) to organisations linked to Choi Soon-sil, a friend of the president who is at the centre of the scandal, to secure the 2015 merger of two affiliates and cement his control of the family business.
Earlier this week, the special prosecutor indicted the chairman of the National Pension Service (NPS), the world's third-largest pension fund, on charges of abuse of power and giving false testimony.
NPS chairman Moon Hyung-pyo was arrested in December after acknowledging ordering it to support the controversial $8 billion merger in 2015 of the two Samsung Group affiliates while heading the health ministry, which oversees the NPS.
The special prosecutor's office has said it did not seek arrest warrants for three other Samsung Group executives that also underwent questioning, in order to minimise the impact on Samsung business.
The group's flagship, Samsung Electronics, is the world's biggest maker of smartphones, flatscreen TVs and memory chips.
Reuters
Wed Jan 18 2017
![Samsung chief questioned behind closed doors in arrest warrant hearing Samsung chief questioned behind closed doors in arrest warrant hearing](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2017-01/51484134663_JayYLee.jpg)
Lee, 48, in dark overcoat and purple necktie, did not answer questions from reporters as he left the Seoul Central District Court after the nearly four-hour hearing and headed by car to a detention centre to await his fate. - REUTERS pic
![Dewan Rakyat lulus RUU Agensi Kawalan dan Perlindungan Sempadan Malaysia Dewan Rakyat lulus RUU Agensi Kawalan dan Perlindungan Sempadan Malaysia](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/41721021538_TBSHAMSUL.jpg)
Dewan Rakyat lulus RUU Agensi Kawalan dan Perlindungan Sempadan Malaysia
Rang Undang-Undang Agensi Kawalan dan Perlindungan Sempadan Malaysia 2024 yang bertujuan menubuhkan MCBA diluluskan persidangan Dewan Rakyat, hari ini.
![PAC akan mulakan prosiding isu dibangkit LKAN Siri 2/2024 PAC akan mulakan prosiding isu dibangkit LKAN Siri 2/2024](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-03/61710922383_MasErmieyatiSamsud.jpg)
PAC akan mulakan prosiding isu dibangkit LKAN Siri 2/2024
Jawatankuasa Kira-Kira Wang Negara (PAC) akan memulakan prosiding bagi empat isu yang dibangkitkan dalam Laporan Ketua Audit Negara (LKAN) Siri 2/2024.
AWANI Ringkas: Kes bunuh Nur Farah Kartini | Skandal LCS
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
ADUN Rembia sertai Pas, kenapa tak umum tahun lepas? - MP Kampar
Chong Zhemin, tindakan tersebut seolah-olah satu penghinaan paling besar kepada Parlimen yang telah meluluskan pindaan Perlembagaan Persekutuan berkait Akta Antilompat Parti.
Masuk Pas untuk sama-sama susah dengan rakyat - ADUN Rembia
Muhamad Jailani berkata, sebelum ini beliau pernah menghantar surat kepada Lembaga Disiplin UMNO memohon untuk memecat keahliannya daripada parti Melayu itu.
[TERKINI] Astro dipilih sebagai penyiar rasmi Olimpik Paris 2024
Astro dipilih sebagai penyiar rasmi bagi Sukan Olimpik Paris 2024 bermula hujung bulan ini.
[TERKINI] Speaker DUN Melaka tunggu surat rasmi Muhammad Jailani
DUN Melaka masih menunggu surat rasmi daripada Pas berhubung tindakan ADUN Rembia, Datuk Muhamad Jailani Khamis yang menyertai Pas.
Sasar sumbang RM500 bilion kepada kdnk tempoh tiga tahun
Selangor perlu merancakkan semula kapasiti pembuatan untuk tidak hanya memenuhi keperluan tempatan, tetapi menjadikan negeri itu sebagai asas kepada pelan peluasan ke rantau Asia Tenggara dan Asia.
![Wanita dihempap kayu balak mula sedarkan diri Wanita dihempap kayu balak mula sedarkan diri](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/61720789446_Wanitadihempapkay.jpg)
Wanita dihempap kayu balak mula sedarkan diri
Wanita yang nyaris maut akibat dihempap kayu balak dalam kejadian di lampu isyarat di Persimpangan Bendahara, Jalan Gua Musang-Kuala Krai di sini 9 Julai lepas, kini dilaporkan mula sedarkan diri.
Sah suspek anggota polis
Ketua Polis Selangor, Datuk Hussein Omar Khan mengesahkan suspek bunuh Nur Farah Kartini, ialah anggota polis.
Suspek juga yang dipercayai teman lelaki mangsa dan bertugas di Perak.
Suspek juga yang dipercayai teman lelaki mangsa dan bertugas di Perak.