The court also took into consideration concern that if the trial is televised, charges against Lee and other defendants could be mistaken for facts, which would be in violation of the principle that suspects are innocent until proven guilty. (Image: Yonhap)
SEOUL, Aug. 23 (Korea Bizwire) – The Seoul Central District Court decided Wednesday not to allow the upcoming sentencing hearing for Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong to be televised live, saying the move could unfairly hurt the interests of defendants.
The court also decided not to permit the taking of still photos during Friday’s trial.
“Lee Jae-yong and all other defendants submitted their opinions opposing filming or broadcasting of the sentencing trial,” the panel of judges said in a statement. “We decided it would be right not to allow broadcasting when considering the public interest that can be realized by filming and broadcasting, compared with irreparable disadvantages and damage the defendants could suffer.”
The court also took into consideration concern that if the trial is televised, charges against Lee and other defendants could be mistaken for facts, which would be in violation of the principle that suspects are innocent until proven guilty.
The court had considered whether to allow the televising of the hearing, which is billed by media as the “trial of the century,” after the Supreme Court revised regulations last month in a way that enables judges to allow live broadcasting of sentencing hearings if they’re in line with public interest.
Special prosecutors indicted Lee in February on charges of providing or promising 43.3 billion won (US$38 million) to Park’s longtime friend and confidante Choi Soon-sil.
In return, he secured government backing for the merger of two Samsung units in 2015, a vital step for cementing his control over South Korea’s biggest conglomerate founded by his grandfather, according to the prosecution.
Lee has denied the charges against him.
(Yonhap)
