South Korean court orders Samsung CEO to be arrested

South Korean authorities have formally arrested Samsung CEO Jay Lee. The CEO, who is considered the next general manager of the electronics manufacturer, may play a role in a bribery scandal in which the South Korean president is also involved.

The regional court in the South Korean capital Seoul has issued an arrest warrant for 48-year-old Lee on Friday morning local time, Bloomberg news agency reported. The arrest took place because it was suspected that he would destroy evidence. He had been held for questioning for some time.

Justice suspects Lee of giving money to the company of a friend of South Korean President Park Geun-hye. In return, the president would have supported him to become general manager in the future. Lee is the grandson of the founder of Samsung. His father, Lee Kun Hee, is officially the head of Samsung, but he has been hospitalized since 2014.

The case has been going on for weeks, but this is the first time Lee has actually been arrested on suspicion of bribery in the scandal. The prosecutor wanted to arrest another Samsung CEO, Park Sang-Jin, but the court did not agree with that request.