Seoul - South Korea's Samsung Group
on Tuesday said it has dismantled its corporate
strategy office, the nerve centre of operations for the
sprawling conglomerate, following its chief's arrest amid a
graft scandal that could bring down President Park Geun-hye.
Samsung, in a statement, said top group executives including
Vice Chairman Choi Gee-sung and President Chang Choong-ki had
resigned and that its affiliates would manage themselves
independently through cooperation between individual firms'
chief executives and the boards of directors.
Jay Y. Lee, third-generation leader of Samsung Group,
promised in December to dismantle the corporate strategy office
amid accusations that he and the office worked to bribe
President Park and her confidant, Choi Soon-sil, to curry favour
and cement his control of the smartphones-to-biopharmaceuticals
business empire.
Read also: Samsung boss arrested
The 48-year-old Samsung chief, arrested on February 17, and four
other Samsung executives will be charged with bribery and
embezzlement.
Lee is accused of pledging 43 billion won ($38 million) in
bribes to a company and foundations controlled by Choi. He
denies wrongdoing.