Prosecutors in the corruption case involving Samsung Electronics vice chairman Jay Y. Lee have recommended the heir be handed a 12-year prison sentence.
In a trial ongoing since April, the grandson of Samsung founder Lee Byung-chul and four other Samsung executives are accused of bribing a close friend of former South Korean president Park Geun-hye to gain support for a merger of two Samsung subsidiaries.
“The defendants were closely tied to power and sought personal gains,” the prosecutors in the case said.
Three former Samsung executives could also face 10-year prison sentences based on the recommendations of the South Korean prosecutors, while a fourth is facing a recommended seven-year sentence.
Lee would be required to serve a third of the 12-year sentence before being eligible for parole. He has denied all of the allegations against him.
A final ruling in the case is scheduled for August 25.
