Special prosecutors probing alleged corruption at Samsung Group said on Thursday that they indicted Chairman Lee Kun-hee for tax evasion and breach of trust while clearing the conglomerate of bribery allegations.
The announcement concludes a three-month probe into a slew of alleged wrongdoing at South Korea's biggest industrial conglomerate.
Lee and close family members have been summoned for hours of questioning during the investigation.
The prosecutors said in a statement that they would not arrest Lee as it would "cause enormous disruptions" in Samsung corporate management.
The "negative repercussions on our economy would be very big amid the extremely competitive global economic situation," they said.
The investigation began in January and was spurred by claims made late last year by a former top Samsung attorney.
The conglomerate has denied the allegations of bribery and other corruption made by its former employee Kim Yong-chul.
The probe has also examined long-simmering allegations by civic groups that South Korea's biggest family-run conglomerate has used dubious financial transactions to ensure corporate control passes from Samsung Chairman Lee to his son.
The investigation essentially agreed with that view.
"Samsung Group has a lot of structural problems, such as illicit transfer of management control," the prosecutors' statement said.
"It is the hope of our investigation team that this probe would serve as an opportunity for Samsung to shed these problems and be reborn as an undisputed ultra first-class global company."
Source: DDNEWS
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