Prosecutors Sacrifice Weekend to Analyze Seized Items in 'Samsung Wellstory Preferential Treatment' Case

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The prosecution, investigating allegations of Samsung Group's preferential allocation of contracts to its catering company, is reportedly analyzing the seized materials rapidly.

According to the legal community on the 3rd, the Fair Trade Investigation Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Ko Jin-won) began a search and seizure at Samsung Electronics headquarters and Samsung Welstory on the 28th of last month and completed the execution of the warrant on the 1st.

The prosecution is said to be accelerating the analysis of the seized materials even over the weekend, selecting data necessary to prove the charges. Through the search and seizure, they secured internal emails and electronic documents related to the operation and outsourcing of in-house catering services stored on the company servers.

Once the analysis of the seized materials is somewhat completed, the prosecution is expected to summon employees related to these materials as witnesses to confirm the details of the preferential contract allocation. Afterwards, they plan to summon key figures in decision-making positions, including former Samsung Group Future Strategy Office Chief Choi Ji-sung, to investigate the motives behind the affiliates' support.

They also intend to estimate the damages caused to the affiliates by Choi and others for preferentially allocating contracts to Welstory and examine whether there was any breach of duty. In particular, it is reported that they plan to verify whether the group companies' support for Welstory is related to Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong's succession of management rights at Samsung Electronics.