The de facto head of South Korean conglomerate Samsung Group is to be formally indicted along with four other company executives on charges of corruption, according to reports.
Lee Jae-yong, currently vice president of Samsung Electronics but widely regarded as being in control of the Samsung empire, will face the charges, including bribery and embezzlement, following his arrest in mid-February.
Three of the four other executives who were named by the special prosecutor’s office as defendants in the corruption case resigned on Tuesday.
Lee was earlier this month ordered by a court to be arrested having been interviewed for a second time by authorities over allegations of unlawful donations.
Lee has faced claims that Samsung made donations to non-profit foundations operated by a close aide of country President Park Geun-hye, who has subsequently been impeached over the scandal.
Payments are alleged to have been made to the foundations operated by Choi Soon-sil in return for Park’s support for a merger deal involving construction firm Samsung C&T and an affiliate, Cheil Industries.
Although Lee was questioned at length by authorities in January he was not arrested.
Lee and Samsung have denied any wrongdoing.
Lee has already admitted before a parliamentary meeting to giving the equivalent of more than $17 million to the two foundations, but has denied that this was to seek favour for the proposed merger of Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries.
Lee is widely regarded as having assumed control of Samsung Group following his father Lee Kun-hee’s heart attack in 2014. The younger Lee is the grandson of Samsung founder Lee Byung-chul.
