Lee Jae-yong, the de facto head of the Samsung group, is set to receive the verdict Friday in his trial at a South Korean court that could result in imprisonment on bribery and other charges.
Lee has denied all charges against him, for which prosecutors are seeking a 12-year prison sentence. The Seoul Central District Court is expected to hand down its judgment as early as 2:30 p.m. local time Friday.
Prosecutors allege that Lee colluded with other executives to gain support from Park Geun-hye, then South Korea's president, for business deals that solidified his hold on the conglomerate by shuffling the group's complex cross-shareholding structure.
Those deals smoothed the way for Lee, currently the vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, to take control over the business from his father, Lee Kun-hee, the Samsung Electronics chairman who has been hospitalized following a heart attack in 2014.
In return, Samsung promised to pay groups linked to Choi Soon-sil, Park's onetime friend and confidante, a total of 43.3 billion won ($38.3 million) in bribes, prosecutors say. To that end, Lee is accused of misappropriating 29.8 billion won in corporate funds. Lee also faces perjury charges over allegations that he gave misleading testimony about the case during a legislative hearing.
Following her impeachment and removal from office, Park is on trial for her role in the scandal. Choi also has been indicted on allegations of influence peddling and meddling in state policy.
Prosecutors call the wide-ranging scandal a typical case of corruption resulting from collusion between business and politics. The prosecution maintains Lee directly profited from the offenses and that he called the final shots in the conspiracy.
Defense attorneys say Lee has received no detailed information about the ties between Samsung and Choi.
Prosecutors have presented scant concrete evidence in support of their claims against Lee, critics say. But many in South Korea's legal profession think that a guilty verdict for bribery and embezzlement will result in prison time for Lee.
Source: Agencies