Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong convicted and fined on drug charges

Seoul: Lee Jae-yong, the heir to the Samsung empire, was on Tuesday convicted and fined for illegally using the sedative propofol.

According to reports the embattled businessman had apparently taken the drug, commonly used as anaesthesia, dozens of times in recent years, the BBC reported.

Under South Korean law, recipients of a controlled drug can be prosecuted along with those who administer it.

Mr Jae-yong had been released on parole in August after spending 20 months in jail for bribery and embezzlement convictions.

During his latest trial, prosecutors said that Lee used propofol several times between 2015 and 2020 under the guise of skin treatment.

However, his lawyer claimed that Mr Jae-yong used the drug to treat psychological stress related to the hospitalisation of his father and his ongoing legal proceedings.

Lee pleaded guilty to the charges.

On Tuesday a court fined him 70 million won. (UNI)