“Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee and a Samsung executive managed funds in 260 bank accounts under [the] names of 72 executives, [and are] suspected of evading taxes worth KRW8.2bn,” Korean National Police Agency said in a statement, reports newswire Reuters.
The investigation into tax evasion dates back to the late payment of KRW130bn in tax in 2011. However, due to the statute of limitations, only KRW8.2bn is retrievable.
The police confirmed that Lee could not be questioned due to his physical condition.
This is not the first time that he has been investigated for tax evasion, having been convicted and later pardoned for a scandal that involved the use of accounts held by trusted employees in 2009.
Samsung woes
The tech giant has had its fair share of negative headlines over the past year, with Lee’s son Jay Lee arrested and imprisoned for bribery and corruption.
Jay Lee was released from detention on 5 February after an appeal court halved his sentence and suspended it for four years.
The graft case that led to Jay Lee’s arrest last year also brought down former president Park Geun-hye.
The new liberal government led by president Jae-in Moon promised to put family-run conglomerates under stronger scrutiny and end the practice of pardoning corporate tycoons convicted of white-collar crimes.
