Lee Jae-yong to Hold Prosecutors' Investigation Deliberation Committee on 'Propofol Administration Suspicion'

Lee Jae-yong, Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] The Prosecution Investigation Deliberation Committee will be held to determine whether to indict Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong on the suspicion of illegal propofol administration.

According to the legal community on the 12th, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office Citizen Committee held a sub-deliberation committee meeting the day before and decided to refer Vice Chairman Lee's case to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Prosecution Investigation Deliberation Committee.

Earlier, Vice Chairman Lee's side requested the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Prosecution Investigation Deliberation Committee to assess the appropriateness of the prosecution's investigation into the suspicion.

The Prosecution Investigation Deliberation Committee system was established to check the abuse of the prosecution's right to indict. External experts review the investigation and prosecution process for cases with significant public suspicion and attention and provide recommendations to the prosecution. However, the prosecution is not obligated to follow such recommendations.

Accordingly, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office plans to convene the Prosecution Investigation Deliberation Committee soon to review whether to suspend the investigation and indict Vice Chairman Lee.

In January last year, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission received a public interest report that Vice Chairman Lee had been habitually administered propofol at a plastic surgery clinic and referred the case to the prosecution for investigation. Propofol is a psychotropic anesthetic commonly known as the "milk injection."

Regarding this, Vice Chairman Lee's side denied the charges, stating, "He received treatment in the past based on a doctor's professional opinion at a hospital, and although he had to receive home visits due to personal circumstances later, illegal administration is not true."

The plastic surgeon identified as administering propofol to Vice Chairman Lee was sentenced to three years in prison in the first trial for habitually administering propofol to members of chaebol families and others.

Meanwhile, the Narcotics Crime Investigation Division of the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency also announced last year that it is investigating the suspicion that Vice Chairman Lee was illegally administered propofol at A Plastic Surgery Clinic in Seoul.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.