Samsung Group heir Jay Y Lee walked free after a year in jail, after a South Korean appeals court on Monday suspended his prison sentence for bribery, Reuters reported.
Lee, who was viewed as the heir to the business empire founded by his father Lee Kun-hee, was sentenced in August 2017 to five years in prison, after a lower court found him guilty of bribery and other crimes. The corruption scandal had also led to the dismissal of the country’s former President Park Geun-Hye.
In December 2017, prosecutors urged the court to sentence Lee to 12 years in jail as it would help “establish the rule of law”.
On Monday, the Seoul High Court reduced his five-year sentence by half, Bloomberg reported. The court said he will be on probation for four years, and also suspended the sentence for bribery and embezzlement, which means Lee does not have to serve time. Lee, however, has been found guilty of lesser charges and is prohibited from travelling outside South Korea without a judge’s approval, Reuters reported.
Lee could get back to work and continue with his existing roles, including director of Samsung Electronics.
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