<Anchor> The



prosecution, who has been investigating the suspicion of Samsung's succession to management, handed over 11 people, including Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, to Samsung’s former and current executives, to trial today (1st).

The prosecution concluded that various illegalities at the group level were committed according to the so-called Project G plan, which was first known through SBS reports.



First, the results of the investigation were summarized by reporter Won Jong-jin.



<Reporter> According



to the project G plan, which has been carefully prepared for many years, Lee Jae-yong, vice chairman of the Samsung Group, promoted the succession of management rights.



This is the conclusion of the prosecution after 1 year and 9 months of investigation.



Along with Vice Chairman Lee, 11 people have been prosecuted, including key personnel from the former Samsung Future Strategy Office, including Choi Ji-sung, Jang Choong-ki, and Kim Jong-jung.



The prosecution explained that the objective evidence was sufficient, and the prosecution had no choice but to prosecute the recommendation for non-prosecution.



[Bok-Hyun Lee/Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office of Economic Crime and Criminal Justice: As a result of in-depth discussions, taking into account the seriousness of the matters that disturbed the order of the capital market (indicted)]



Prosecutors first

tried to

strengthen Vice Chairman Lee's control of the group. In the process of merging Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries in order to take over management rights, it was determined that there were various illegal activities.



During the general shareholders' meeting, information on the risks arising from the merger was reduced and concealed, and false positive information was released to increase the value of Cheil Industries, which has a high stake in Vice Chairman Lee.



It also revealed that there were various market price manipulation activities, such as intensive purchase of Cheil Industries' treasury stock.



As a result, the prosecution applied a new crime of infidelity, saying that Samsung C&T's corporate value was underestimated and shareholders suffered damage.



Samsung Biologics' suspicion of fraudulent accounting, the starting point of this investigation, was also judged as a crime.



It is said that the value of Samsung Bio, a subsidiary of Cheil Industries, was raised through false disclosures and illegal changes in accounting standards, and the controversy over unfair mergers was settled.



In response, the Samsung lawyers said that the investigation was conducted with the aim of prosecuting from the beginning, and that they would refute the prosecution's unilateral allegations at the trial.



(Video coverage: Seol Min-hwan, video editing: Yumira)