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The Seoul High Court in South Korea sentenced Lee to 2 1/2 years behind bars on Monday after finding him guilty of embezzlement and bribery. He was taken into custody following the verdict.
Lee, meanwhile, was found guilty of bribery and other corruption charges in 2017, and sentenced to five years in prison at the time. But he walked free after less than a year when an appeals court threw out some of the charges and suspended his sentence.
This latest sentence is the result of a retrial ordered by the country’s Supreme Court.
Samsung declined to comment about the sentencing, instead referring to a statement from Lee’s attorneys.
“This case is, in essence, a violation of corporation’s rights to freedom and property by the former president abusing her power,” said Injae Lee, the lawyer leading the vice chairman’s defense team. “I find the court’s decision regrettable.”
Lee can appeal if he so chooses, though it was not immediately clear whether he intends to do so.
Lee’s legal troubles also aren’t over yet. He faces a separate trial over a controversial 2015 merger that helped him tighten control over the company. Eleven executives from Samsung, including Lee, were indicted last year on charges including illegal transactions, stock manipulation, and perjury.
That case is still pending.
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