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Samsung Group Chief Denies All Charges as 'Trial of the Century' Begins (fortune.com)

Posted by msmash on from the trial-of-the-century dept.

An anonymous reader shares a Fortune report: The head of South Korea's Samsung Group, Jay Y. Lee, denies all charges against him, his lawyer said on Thursday, at the start of what the special prosecutor said could be the "trial of the century" amid a political scandal that has rocked the country. Lee has been charged with bribery, embezzlement and other offenses in a corruption scandal that has already led to the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye. Lee, who is being detained at Seoul Detention Centre, did not attend court. A defendant does not have to turn up during a preparatory hearing, held to organize evidence and set dates for witness testimony. The date of the next hearing will be decided next week. Lee's defense denied all charges against him on his behalf, saying that the special prosecution's indictment cites conversations, evidence or witnesses the prosecution did not actually hear, investigate or interview according to the rules -- or states opinions that are not facts.

32 comments

  1. I'm waiting to hear... by phayes · · Score: 2

    I'm waiting to hear how all Samsung's problems are Apple's fault.

    --
    Democracy is a sheep and two wolves deciding what to have for lunch. Freedom is a well armed sheep contesting the issue
    1. Re:I'm waiting to hear... by TimothyHollins · · Score: 1

      Just wait until Prenda shows up as the mystery witness.

  2. He would, wouldn't he? by OneHundredAndTen · · Score: 1

    In the immortal words of Mandy Rice-Davis.

  3. Century? by RivenAleem · · Score: 1

    A bit early to be calling the winner of this century's trial awards. Surely that title will be held by some Pharma company that develops and and releases the zombie plague in the next 75 or so years?

    1. Re:Century? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Zombies aren't actually feasible. My bet is that the trial of the century will be Trump tried for treason after he's impeached..

  4. Trial of the Century? Nah. by rjmx · · Score: 3, Funny

    Wait till we get Trump in the dock.

    1. Re:Trial of the Century? Nah. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The obama adminstration would go first. Especially after they decided punt a person with probable terrorism ties through the vetting process and bypass the entire thing. Hope you enjoy that new probe of the previous administration actively endangering the lives of your fellow americans.

    2. Re:Trial of the Century? Nah. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You are such a precious snowflake! Adorable!

    3. Re:Trial of the Century? Nah. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wait till we get Trump in the dock.

      I'm not going to say never, but you really underestimate this guy if you think you will ever see this.

      The ONLY way this happens is if he makes a really stupid mistake of epic legal proportions and I just don't see him being that stupid. He may be brash, but he's obviously NOT stupid. I don't think he really cares all that much about PR to try and do a cover-up, given that "Access Hollywood" tape reaction. What's left? Accepting bribes when he doesn't need the money?

      I think you are dreaming.. But hey, keep trying, it will only serve to keep pressure on him to be honest and further alienate possible democrat voters who are growing tired of one made up scandal after another.....

    4. Re: Trial of the Century? Nah. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Trump day of reckoning is 4years from now when his financial empire crumbs.
      If smart he and his children start stealing as much as possible for next few years and hide them well.

    5. Re:Trial of the Century? Nah. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The previous century had the Scopes Trial featuring Clarence Darrow and evolutionary science vs. William Jennings Bryan and creationism.

      We have... prosecution of the CEO of the phone company on corruption charges.

      Advantage: 20th century.

    6. Re:Trial of the Century? Nah. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hope you enjoy that new probe of the previous administration actively endangering the lives of your fellow americans.

      You're hilarious. Hilariously stupid.

    7. Re:Trial of the Century? Nah. by rjmx · · Score: 1

      Lessee now - that's 1 ... 2 ... 3 ... 4 ... 5 fish so far. Not bad. Any other takers?

    8. Re: Trial of the Century? Nah. by ausekilis · · Score: 1

      There's so much press about how Trump is an amazing businessman. Truth is he's not all that good compared to Bill Gates or Warren Buffet. Sure, he's still much richer than most of us slobs, but he *only* increased his wealth by 300% from 1987 to 2015. Bill Gates' worth grew 7,173%, and the S&P grew ~1,300%.

      That's right folks, our president would be much wealthier if he just invested in some stocks... instead of his failed University, his failed airlines, and other instances. So yea, his children would be wise to make their own investments into some up-and-coming technologies and companies. Or even some established big guys that have a history of strong growth.

    9. Re:Trial of the Century? Nah. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      He was deep cover and needed to be extricated in any manner possible.

    10. Re:Trial of the Century? Nah. by sysrammer · · Score: 1

      Not hard, either. Like chumming with dynamite.

      --
      His ignorance covered the whole earth like a blanket, and there was hardly a hole in it anywhere. - Mark Twain
    11. Re:Trial of the Century? Nah. by rjmx · · Score: 1

      True. In my defence, I *was* a bit bored at the time.

  5. I heard his defense is based on by mandark1967 · · Score: 1

    bad batteries

    --
    Sig Follows: "Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself." -- Mark Twain
  6. Politics more crazy than US by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    This SKorea stuff blew up around the US election, which covered it up. But is actually a crazier story than the Trump storyline.

    tldr; The president was under control of a 'shaman' friend, which used her power to embezzle funds basically everywhere (this is how Samsung is 'possibly' involved, being SKorea's biggest company), and abused the presidents power. This whole thing came to light when the shaman's not-so-intelligent daughter was put into a high ranking college somehow, and that was investigated which lead to more findings.

    Much better explanation of this entire thing here: https://askakorean.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-ultimate-choi-soon-sil-gate.html (writer is K-American lawyer)

    1. Re:Politics more crazy than US by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      There is a Korean guy who has been dropping info on 8chan. Do you still think of South Korea as a place for Starcraft and MMOs? Not anymore. It has turned into a social experiment to see how much government control the public will allow if the government claims that it all is being done to protect women. Oh, and the government may have intentionally sunk a ferry full of schoolchildren for some ceremonial purpose because they thought the date was special. Does it sound crazy? All of the other crazy stuff he has said has turned out to be true. One of his latest reports has Park's people flying AntiFa colors, raiding the home of the lead investigator, conspiring to assassinate the chief justice of the constitutional court, and promising bloodshed if Park is impeached.

    2. Re:Politics more crazy than US by Mashiki · · Score: 1

      You should check Megalia if you want to see absolute insanity. TL;DR: Group of radical feminists who are pro-pedophilia, actively engages in targeting men, has assaulted male children, has poisoned people in public, violently assaulted people, and so on. And...had backing of Park Geun-hye and high level officials within the government. The western press painted megalia as soft special and precious snowflakes that wouldn't hurt a fly.

      --
      Om, nomnomnom...
  7. Pah by fyngyrz · · Score: 1

    Yeah. Besides, the only thing notable about this is that there might be a trial.

    The rule in business and government isn't "don't be corrupt." It's don't get caught.

    --
    I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
  8. Manufacturing Protocol by Neuronwelder · · Score: 1

    It seems the best idea is for Japan to stick with making it's own products. They are good at making products. Stay away from other countries, you will avoid headaches and trouble!

    1. Re:Manufacturing Protocol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It seems the best idea is for Japan to stick with making it's own products. They are good at making products. Stay away from other countries, you will avoid headaches and trouble!

      Japan? What article were you reading?

  9. Contrary to popular belief by Solandri · · Score: 4, Informative

    Apple is one of Samsung's best customers. Apple buys Samsung memory, flash NAND, and screens for use in their devices. The Apple iOS processors are mostly manufactured at Samsung fabs (initially they were made entirely at Samsung fabs). If the new iPhones switch to OLED screens, it'll probably be Samsung screens since LG probably won't have enough capacity.

    Apple tried to disassociate itself from Samsung after the two butted heads in various patent lawsuits. But it was difficult/impossible to do since Samsung makes a lot of the stuff Apple uses in their products. They had to use the Samsung fabs because nobody else had sufficient capacity for 10nm production (TSMC finally began adding some capacity last year). And Samsung has 98% of the world's OLED screen production capability. Apple OTOH accounts for only a few percent of Samsung's sales. So it's actually Apple who needs Samsung a lot more than Samsung needs Apple.

    A lot of people seem to forget or not know that Apple doesn't actually make anything (except software and a processor design). Apple is primarily a parts assembler, like Dell, who buys other companies' products, repackages them, and sells it to the end-user. Actually, even Dell has more skin in the game since they own their own assembly factories. Apple contracts out their assembly work to companies like Quanta and Foxconn.

    1. Re:Contrary to popular belief by phayes · · Score: 1

      How is that germane to how all Samsung's problems are Apple's fault?

      --
      Democracy is a sheep and two wolves deciding what to have for lunch. Freedom is a well armed sheep contesting the issue
  10. it's not the trial of the century by Provocateur · · Score: 1

    It's not the trial of the century until Lady Gaga takes the stand.

    --
    WARNING: Smartphones have side effects--most of them undocumented.
  11. Samsung is rotten to the core by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    From my experience with high end Samsung consumer goods, and talking to their repair techs, it seems like they knowingly sell products with self-destruct defects. It doesn't suprise me at all that corruption goes right to the top.

    I'm currently looking at a $2k Samsung induction range, released to the market with defective induction burners. 25% of these ovens have at least 1 burner that doesn't function. The oven was designed to vent steam directly into the induction panel, causing it to become corroded and caked with crap. The capactive buttons die, rendering the thing yet another countertop.

    So Samsung can go get fucked.

  12. Nonsense by bignetbuy · · Score: 1

    Johnnie Cochran calls your "Trial of the Century" preposterous and intends to sue. Also, OJ wants to have a word with you.

  13. The Century only just began! by sabbede · · Score: 1
    Way too soon to make a call like that. Y'all are going to look like fools in two years when the next "Trial of the Century" begins. Here's a list from Wikipedia of supposed trials of the century. Obviously, 1901 was too early to start making that claim. (lazy formatting)

    Trial of Leon Czolgosz for the assassination of United States President William McKinley (1901) [2]

    Trial of Harry Thaw for the murder of Stanford White (1906)[2]

    Trial of Bill Haywood for murder (1907)[2]

    Sacco and Vanzetti murder trial (1920–1927) [3]

    Leopold and Loeb murder trial (1924)[4]

    Scopes Trial (1925)[5]

    Gloria Vanderbilt custody trial (1934)[6]

    Lindbergh kidnapping trial (1935)[7][8]

    Nuremberg trials (1945–1946) [9][10]

    Adolf Eichmann trial (1961)[10]

    Charles Manson and Manson "family" for Tate/LaBianca murders (1970)[11]

    Claus von Bülow trials (1982–1985)

    Klaus Barbie trial (1987)[10]

    Trial of Nicolae and Elena Ceauescu (1989)[10]

    Vizconde massacre (1991)[12]

    O. J. Simpson murder case trial (1995)[5]

    Trial of Yolanda Saldívar (1995)[5]

    There can't possibly be more than one "Trial of the Century", dumbasses.

    1. Re:The Century only just began! by sabbede · · Score: 1

      Oh, forgot to point out that nobody is aware of or remembers most of those trials, even if they were alive when they happened.