AFP, Seoul :
The heir to the world’s top smartphone maker Samsung took the stand Wednesday in his corruption trial, to be questioned by prosecutors about the scandal that brought down South Korea’s last president.
It was the first time Lee Jae-Yong, vice president of Samsung Electronics and the son of the Samsung Group chairman Lee Kun-Hee, had faced interrogation since the high-profile proceedings began in March.
The 49-year-old, under detention while the trial is underway, took the stand in a Seoul court wearing a shirt and dark blazer.
He bowed slight towards the three judges on the podium as his co-defendants, an army of lawyers, and a packed courtroom looked on.
Lee and four other Samsung executives are accused of bribing the powerful confidante of then-President Park Geun-Hye with millions of dollars to win presidential favours and ease a controversial 2015 merger deal.
The merger was seen as a key step in ensuring an untroubled power transfer to Lee from his father.
Park was formally impeached and removed from power in March after public uproar over her questionable ties with confidante Choi Soon-Sil sparked mass nationwide protests for months.
The heir to the world’s top smartphone maker Samsung took the stand Wednesday in his corruption trial, to be questioned by prosecutors about the scandal that brought down South Korea’s last president.
It was the first time Lee Jae-Yong, vice president of Samsung Electronics and the son of the Samsung Group chairman Lee Kun-Hee, had faced interrogation since the high-profile proceedings began in March.
The 49-year-old, under detention while the trial is underway, took the stand in a Seoul court wearing a shirt and dark blazer.
He bowed slight towards the three judges on the podium as his co-defendants, an army of lawyers, and a packed courtroom looked on.
Lee and four other Samsung executives are accused of bribing the powerful confidante of then-President Park Geun-Hye with millions of dollars to win presidential favours and ease a controversial 2015 merger deal.
The merger was seen as a key step in ensuring an untroubled power transfer to Lee from his father.
Park was formally impeached and removed from power in March after public uproar over her questionable ties with confidante Choi Soon-Sil sparked mass nationwide protests for months.
