SC exempts Samsung CEO from court appearance

The Supreme Court on Thursday granted exemption from personal appearance to Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee in criminal cases, including one filed by Indian firm JCE Consultancy against him for allegedly cheating it of $1.4 million.

A bench, comprising Justices P C Ghose and R F Nariman, also ordered transfer of as many as three criminal cases, pending against 75-year-old Lee, from Uttar Pradesh to a magisterial court at the Patiala House Courts here.

The bench also asked the police to conclude the probe in one of the cases against Lee within three months from on Thursday and file a report.

Senior advocate Gopal Subramaniam, assisted by lawyer Nar Hari Singh, appeared for Lee in the apex court and sought exemption from his personal appearance.

In 2014, the apex court had directed Lee, who was then facing an arrest warrant due to non-appearance, to appear before a Ghaziabad court in a 1.4 million dollar cheating case filed against him by JCE Consultancy.

It, however, had directed that the arrest warrant against Lee Kun-hee would not be executed.