Seoul High Court jailed Lee for two and a half years, reducing the original term by half, and suspended the sentence for charges including bribery and embezzlement, meaning he does not have to serve time. Lee, 49, heir to one of the world's biggest corporate empires, had been detained since last February. Lee, whose face was noticeably worn, did not show any emotion when the ruling was announced. But although he was set free from detention by the appeals court, the stigma may stick, lawyers say. "Public opinion will get riled up and people will keep thinking there was some quid pro quo between Samsung's Lee and the president," Lee Jung-jae, a lawyer at law firm Jung said.

Source: bd News24 February 05, 2018 06:22 UTC