三星掌門人以嫌疑人身份接受訊問

The de facto head of Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest smartphone maker, is to be interrogated as a suspect in the corruption case roiling South Korea.

全球最大智能手機制造商三星電子(Samsung Electronics)實際掌門人將以一樁攪亂韓國的賄賂案嫌疑人的身份接受檢方訊問。

Lee Jae-yong, vice-chairman and heir apparent of the Samsung group, has been summoned to appear for questioning today over suspicions of bribery, the special prosecutors’ office said yesterday.

韓國特別檢察官辦公室昨日表示，三星集團副董事長、推定繼承人李在鎔(Lee Jae-yong)已被傳喚，將於今日就涉嫌行賄一事接受訊問。

The office did not elaborate and the company declined to comment.

該辦公室沒有透露具體內容，三星也拒絕置評。

It is a blow to Samsung, which has been seeking to close the door on a tumultuous 2016.

這對三星是一個打擊，此前該公司希望告別動盪不安的2016年。

Mr Lee is the first South Korean corporate leader to be treated as a suspect in an influence-peddling scandal that has ensnared President Park Geun-hye. Ms Park was impeached by parliament in December following weeks of outrage and mass demonstrations amid allegations she had fallen under the influence of a “shaman adviser”.

在讓韓國總統朴槿惠(Park Geun-hye)陷入困境的以權謀私醜聞中，李在鎔是首位被列爲嫌疑人的韓國企業領袖。朴槿惠被指受到一位“薩滿顧問”的影響，在數週的憤怒和大規模示威活動之後，去年12月，朴槿惠遭到國會彈劾。

Prosecutors claim Choi Soon-sil used her relationship with the president to press top South Korean companies including Samsung into donating millions of dollars to foundations under her control.

檢察官指控稱，崔順實(Choi Soon-sil)利用與總統的關係，向三星等韓國大企業施壓，要求它們向崔順實控制的基金會捐贈數百萬美元。

Prosecutors are probing whether the country’s biggest conglomerate made the alleged payments to secure backing for a contentious merger between two Samsung affiliates last year.

檢察官正在調查這家韓國最大綜合企業是否做出了上述捐贈，以確保去年三星旗下兩家公司備受質疑的合併獲得放行。

That deal was crucial for Mr Lee to secure his grip on Samsung Electronics, and has drawn criticism that it benefited the founding family unfairly at the expense of minority shareholders.

那筆交易對於李在鎔獲得三星電子控制權至關重要，還引發批評：該交易犧牲了少數股東的利益，讓創始家族不公平受益。

Mr Lee denies the merger was linked to his succession.

李在鎔否認這筆合併交易與他接班有關。

The summons “is likely to put the brakes on Samsung’s plans for this year”, said Park Joo-geun, head of CEO Score, a corporate watchdog, “as an arrest warrant could be possible after the investigation tomorrow”.

企業監督機構CEO Score負責人Park Joo-geun表示，傳喚李在鎔“可能會導致三星今年的計劃被擱置……因爲在明日調查結束後，檢方可能會發出逮捕令”。

It is also likely to hinder the company’s attempts to reform its corporate governance structure, Mr Park added.

他表示，這還很可能會阻礙三星改革其公司治理結構的計劃。

In December, the heads of South Korea’s biggest conglomerates were hauled before parliament for a rare televised interrogation by lawmakers over the scandal.

去年12月，韓國各大綜合企業的負責人被迫因這起醜聞出席國會聽證會，罕見接受國會議員的電視直播質詢。

During questioning, Mr Lee admitted making donations to foundations controlled by Ms Choi, but denied seeking or receiving political favours in return.

在接受質詢期間，李在鎔承認曾向崔順實控制的基金會捐款，但否認藉此尋求或者得到了政治恩惠。

The on-air grilling capped a difficult year for the company, which began with a profit warning and shareholder tension and plumbed new depths with the $6bn recall and eventual termination of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone.

電視直播的質詢給三星艱難的一年劃上句號，起初是利潤預警和股東關係緊張，後來智能手機Galaxy Note 7的60億美元召回以及最終下架加劇了三星的困境。