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		</div><p>South Korean authorities have said a Samsung heir will be questioned as a suspect in a bribery case in the massive influence-peddling scandal that led to the impeachment of the country&#8217;s president.</p>
<p>Lee Jae-yong, Samsung Electronics&#8217; vice chairman, will be summoned to face questions by investigators probing whether South Korea&#8217;s largest business group bribed a jailed confidante of President Park Geun-hye to win favours, said Hong Jong-seok, a spokesman for the special prosecutor team.</p>
<p>The possible favours include getting the government&#8217;s backing on a controversial Samsung merger in 2015 that was opposed by minority shareholders, Mr Hong said.</p>
<p>Lee and members of his family were the biggest beneficiaries of the merger of Samsung C&#038;T and Cheil Industries, which helped him increase his control over Samsung Electronics without having to spend his money to buy its shares.</p>
<p>The former health minister overseeing the government-controlled national pension fund was arrested last year. The pension fund, the biggest shareholder in Samsung C&#038;T, voted for the merger even though its advisers recommended voting against it, giving the crucial vote Samsung needed to secure shareholder approval.</p>
<p>Prosecutors are expected to grill Lee starting on Thursday about why Samsung Group sent corporate funds to Choi Soon-sil, the jailed confidante, including buying costly horses for her daughter, who was on the national dressage team.</p>
<p>Two Samsung executives, including a man known as Lee&#8217;s mentor, were questioned earlier this week.</p>
<p>When Lee appeared at a public hearing last month, he told legislators he was not aware of the decision to fund Choi&#8217;s daughter. He also denied that Samsung tried to win favours through the funds.</p>
<p>Lee, the only son of Samsung&#8217;s ailing chairman and a grandson of the company&#8217;s founder, acknowledged it was &#8220;inappropriate&#8221; but &#8220;inevitable&#8221; to send money to Choi.</p>
<p>Authorities have declined to say how much money Samsung spent on Choi&#8217;s companies or foundations.</p>
<p>According to local media and legislators, Samsung signed a contract worth more than 18 million US dollars (£14.8 million) with Choi&#8217;s company to bankroll her daughter&#8217;s equestrian training in Germany and donated another 17 million dollars (£14 million) to two non-profit foundations whose funds were allegedly for Choi&#8217;s personal use.</p>
<p>Mr Hong said prosecutors have examined a tablet PC Choi had owned and found details about what type of benefits Samsung provided to her, including the Samsung funds used in Germany.</p>
<p>Once prosecutors finish questioning Lee, they will determine whether to add more Samsung officials on a list of suspects, Mr Hong said.</p>
<p>President Park&#8217;s powers have been suspended since December 9 when South Korea&#8217;s opposition-controlled parliament voted to impeach her over the scandal.</p>
<p>She is being tried at the Constitutional Court to decide whether she will be permanently removed from power.</p>
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