Samsung chief interrogated again in Seoul

Alex Jensen

SEOUL (AA) - Samsung Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong was interrogated by special prosecutors here for a second time Monday.

Lee avoided arrest last month despite intense speculation he could be detained after being questioned for nearly 24 hours regarding claims he paid tens of millions of dollars to an unofficial presidential aide to smooth his own power succession via a merger of Samsung affiliates in 2015.

The 48-year-old is effectively in control of the conglomerate because his father, Samsung’s ailing Chairman Lee Kun-hee, suffered a heart attack in 2014.

“I will faithfully tell the truth during the special prosecutors' (interrogation),” Lee told reporters upon arrival for questioning, according to local news agency Yonhap.

As with his previous summons, Lee was greeted by protesters angered by Samsung’s alleged link to a much wider presidential scandal.

President Park Geun-hye was impeached in December on a series of charges, including pressuring business leaders to pay large sums in return for favors.

It remains uncertain whether prosecutors will again seek an arrest warrant for Lee after failing with their Jan. 19 request.

A spokesperson for the special probe team investigating the wider presidential scandal told reporters Sunday authorities “carried out additional investigations over the last three weeks” and plan to question Lee on additional charges.

Two other Samsung executives were summoned to appear before investigators later Monday