Signs of prolonged trial darkening again raise concerns among some in the business and legal communities
"It has been about six and a half years since I took over management due to my father's (Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee) illness, and during that time, investigations and trials continued for four years."
On the afternoon of the 23rd, Lee Jae-yong, Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics' lawyer made this unusual appeal during the retrial related to the state affairs manipulation case, in response to the special prosecution's claim that the expert review period for the Samsung Compliance Committee should be extended. This directly revealed that Samsung's judicial risk is becoming prolonged as Vice Chairman Lee's trial period is relatively extended. Lee, who lost his father a month ago, listened to his lawyer's argument at the time but maintained a stern expression. In fact, Choi Seo-won (formerly Choi Soon-sil), who has more charges than Lee, has already had her sentence finalized, and former President Park Geun-hye's final appeal is currently underway at the Supreme Court.
Some in the business and legal communities are also concerned that frequent court appearances due to Vice Chairman Lee's state affairs manipulation trial and signs of the trial's prolongation could disrupt Samsung Electronics' management. Lee's retrial began on the 26th of last month, the day after Chairman Lee Kun-hee passed away, and was held three times on the 9th and 23rd of this month. Except for the trial last month, which Lee did not attend, he appeared in court twice within less than a month after Chairman Lee's death. Lee is also required to attend trials scheduled for the 30th of this month and the 7th of next month.
Moreover, the special prosecution argues that the many evaluation items related to the Compliance Committee require expert reviewers to conduct long-term examinations, which could further prolong the trial. At the trial the day before, the special prosecution also argued regarding the expected judicial personnel changes in February next year that "(Chief Judge Jeong Jun-young) should remain in office to ensure thorough verification," suggesting it is a better direction. Previously, the retrial court's intention to verify the effectiveness of the Compliance Committee and reflect it in sentencing was met with opposition from the special prosecution, who filed a motion to disqualify the court, causing the trial to be delayed for more than nine months. Because of this, the lawyer said, "The trial records related to Lee's succession of management rights amount to about 200,000 pages, and the prosecution requests rapid progress, requiring reviewing 3,000 pages a day," adding, "I cannot understand why the prosecution claims it cannot prepare for the trial within the given period in this case," expressing disbelief.
A legal insider said, "It has already been four years since this trial began," and pointed out, "Considering the defendant's interests under the Criminal Procedure Act, it is right to conclude the trial quickly." A business official also expressed concern, saying, "In an era of management uncertainty due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), if even the trial loses momentum, Samsung's lost decade will become a reality," adding, "Under the current circumstances, overseas business trips by Lee or mergers and acquisitions (M&A) by Samsung Electronics are hardly imaginable."
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