Samsung Group chief Jay Y Lee was arrested early on Friday over his alleged role in a corruption scandal rocking the highest levels of power in South Korea, dealing a fresh blow to the world's biggest maker of smartphones and memory chips.
The 48-year-old Lee, scion of the country's richest family, was taken into custody at the Seoul Detention Centre after waiting there overnight for the decision. He was being held in a single cell with a TV and desk, a jail official said.
Lee is a suspect in the influence-peddling scandal that led parliament to impeach President Park Geun-hye in December, a decision that if upheld by the Constitutional Court would make her the country's first democratically elected leader forced from office.
Samsung and Lee have denied wrongdoing in the case.
We will do our best to ensure that the truth is revealed in future court proceedingsSamsung Group statement
While Lee's detention is not expected to hamper day-to-day operation of Samsung firms, which are run by professional managers, experts said it could hinder strategic decision-making at South Korea's biggest conglomerate
South Korea's special prosecutor's office said it is planning to indict Samsung Group chief Jay Y Lee on charges that go beyond previously cited bribery allegations surrounding government backing of a 2015 merger of two group affiliates.
The charges against Lee relate to the broader process of leadership succession at Samsung.
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