The legal proceedings against Samsung’s chairman, Jay Y. Lee, commenced today with an initial session at the Seoul Central District Court. Lee stands accused of offenses including accounting irregularities and manipulating stock values.

In June, the Seoul Central District Court rejected a request from prosecutors to issue an arrest warrant for Lee. The court acknowledged the prosecution presented a “significant volume of evidence,” but determined it was insufficient grounds for detention at that time.

Lee did not attend the court hearing. Reports from Vietnamese state news sources indicate he was in Vietnam earlier this week, engaged in discussions regarding potential investments with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

The prosecution contends that the valuation of Cheil Industries, a supplier of electronic components, was deliberately increased prior to its integration with Samsung’s holding firm five years ago. This alleged inflation was intended to benefit Lee, who held the position of largest shareholder in Cheil at the time.

Lee is among eleven existing and former Samsung officials who were formally charged last month by South Korean prosecutors. The charges relate to accusations of overstating the assets of Samsung BioLogics, a company in which Cheil maintained a substantial ownership interest.

During today’s hearing, counsel for Lee asserted that the merger and related accounting procedures were standard business practices, as reported by Channel News Asia.

A guilty verdict could result in imprisonment for Lee. He has previously been incarcerated, having faced charges related to offering bribes to former President Park Geun-hye in exchange for backing the merger. Lee was granted release from prison in 2018 after completing nearly a year of his sentence.

Park was removed from office in 2017 and subsequently received a 25-year prison sentence following convictions for bribery, misuse of authority, and misappropriation of funds.