A South Korean court has denied the request of prosecutors to arrest Samsung group heir-apparent and de facto head Lee Jae-yong for his alleged role in a snowballing corruption scandal poised to topple President Park Geun-hye.
Mr Lee, vice-chairman of Samsung Electronics — the world’s largest smartphone maker — was allowed to return home early on Thursday morning after the Seoul Central District Court ruled that there was no compelling reason for his arrest, despite prosecutors’ accusations that Samsung made millions of dollars of political donations for business favours.
The 48-year-old Samsung heir is facing charges of bribery, perjury and embezzlement following a marathon 22-hour interrogation late last week. The special prosecutors have accused the company of funnelling more than $35m to foundations controlled by a close presidential aide in exchange for government support for a controversial merger of Samsung affiliates.