SEOUL, Jan 18: The Seoul High Court on Monday sentenced Samsung Electronics Co Ltd Vice Chairman Jay Y. Lee to two and a half years in prison for bribery.
Lee was convicted of bribing an associate of former President Park Geun-hye and jailed for five years in 2017. He was freed on appeal after serving one year, but the Supreme Court ordered a retrial by the High Court.
The following is a timeline of events in the case against Lee.
2016
Oct 24: Allegations of wrongdoing by former President Park Geun-hye involving a personal confidant, Choi Seo-won, better known by her former name Choi Soon-sil, is reported by a local cable channel.
Nov 13: South Korean prosecutors question Jay Y. Lee in a probe over the growing political scandal involving Park.
Dec 9: South Korea’s parliament votes to impeach President Park over the influence-peddling scandal.
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Dec 21: A team led by a special prosecutor launches a formal criminal investigation.
2017
Feb 17: Lee is arrested over his alleged role in the scandal and paying bribes to organisations controlled by Choi to secure support for a merger of two Samsung affiliates that was designed to cement his control of the Samsung Group.
Feb 28: Samsung Group dismantles its corporate strategy office amid accusations that Lee worked with the office to bribe former president Park and her confidante Choi.
Feb 28: South Korean prosecutors indict 17 people including Lee over the scandal.
Mar 10: South Korea’s Constitutional Court affirms parliament’s impeachment of Park and removes her from office.
Mar 31: Park is arrested on charges including bribery and abuse of presidential power.
Aug 25: The Seoul Central District Court sentences Lee to 5 years in prison for bribery, hiding assets abroad and embezzlement.
2018
Feb 5: Lee is released from jail after an appeals court cut his sentence to two and a half years and suspended the sentence for four years. Lee’s attorney says he will appeal to the Supreme Court to try to overturn the conviction.
2019
Aug 29: South Korea’s Supreme Court sends Lee’s case back to the appellate Seoul High Court for review, saying its interpretation of what constituted bribes was too narrow.
Oct 25: The first hearing in Lee’s bribery retrial is held.
2020
Jan 9: Samsung Group sets up an anti-corruption panel headed by a former supreme court judge to improve compliance and prevent violation of governance rules.
May 6: Lee makes a public apology over controversies in Samsung’s succession plans and says he will not hand over management rights to his children.
Dec 30: Prosecutors seek a nine-year jail term for Lee.
2021
Jan 14: South Korea’s Supreme court upholds a 20-year jail sentence for former President Park on graft charges.
Jan 18: The Seoul High Court sentences Lee to two and a half years in prison.
