Samsung chief Lee cleared of charges in 2015 merger case

Seoul: Samsung Electronics Chairman Jay Y Lee was found not guilty of accounting fraud and stock manipulation by a Seoul court on Monday in a case about a 2015 merger of Samsung affiliates that prosecutors said was designed to cement his control of the tech group.

Prosecutors had asked for a five-year jail term last November. Lee denied wrongdoing, arguing that he and other executives acted on the belief the merger would benefit shareholders.

The surprise ruling could still be appealed by prosecutors.