Samsung said executive Jay Y. Lee, arrested last month on embezzlement and bribery charges, is scheduled to go on trial as soon as March 9.
Lee was indicted on the charges last week, following his Feb. 17 arrest. The South Korea special prosecutor alleges that Lee paid the office of Korean President Park Geun-hye about $37 million in bribes to facilitate government approval of certain business deals. Those deals gave Lee the leverage he needed to ascend to the company’s top executive spot. Samsung has denied that the company and Lee acted improperly, even though President Park Geun-hye herself has been impeached by the Korean government.
Special prosecutor Park Young-soo suggested to reporters that “the upcoming Samsung trial could be the trial of the century, that the entire world will be watching.” Samsung is South Korea’s largest business.
