Court Assigns Summary Indictment Case Against Lee Jae-yong for 'Propofol Injection' Allegation

Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong of Samsung Electronics. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] The trial panel assigned to the case of Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, who was summarily indicted on charges of illegal propofol administration, has been decided.

According to the legal community on the 7th, the Seoul Central District Court assigned the case of Vice Chairman Lee, who was summarily indicted for violating the Narcotics Control Act, to Judge Lee Dong-hee of Criminal Division 2.

The assigned trial panel handles summary cases related to narcotics, environment, food, and health.

Previously, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission received a public interest report stating that "Vice Chairman Lee habitually administered propofol at a plastic surgery clinic in Gangnam" and requested an investigation from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office.

Vice Chairman Lee's side denied the illegal administration charges and requested the convening of the Prosecutorial Investigation Deliberation Committee. The committee, held in March, recommended halting the investigation against Vice Chairman Lee, but the decision on whether to prosecute was tied, resulting in rejection.

The Violent Crime Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Won Ji-ae) summarily indicted Vice Chairman Lee on the 4th for violating the Narcotics Control Act with a fine of 50 million won.

Summary indictment is a procedure where the court is requested to issue a summary order through written examination without referring the case to a formal trial.

After Vice Chairman Lee was summarily indicted, some media raised suspicions of a conflict of opinion between the investigation team and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office leadership regarding his judicial treatment. However, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office fully denied these suspicions, stating, "The investigation team reported the plan for summary disposition, and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office approved it."

Vice Chairman Lee's side has denied the illegal administration allegations, stating, "It was a medical treatment by a professional doctor during the hospital treatment process."

Meanwhile, Article 450 (Ordinary Judgment) of the Criminal Procedure Act states, "If a summary order cannot be issued for a case where a summary order request is made, or if it is deemed inappropriate to issue a summary order, the case shall be judged through a trial procedure."

If the trial panel deems it inappropriate to issue a summary order considering the nature of the crime in response to the prosecutor's summary order request, the case can be referred to a formal trial. The defendant can also request a formal trial within seven days from the date of notification of the summary order according to Article 453 (Request for Formal Trial) Paragraph 1 of the same law.

It is known that Vice Chairman Lee decided to accept the prosecution's disposition following his lawyers' advice that it would be better to conclude the case early to minimize judicial risks for both himself and the company.