CJ head again seeks custody suspension for hospital treatment

SEOUL, July 7 (Yonhap) — The chairman of the food and entertainment conglomerate CJ Group has again requested a suspension of the execution of his 30-month jail term, citing the need for medical treatment, court officials said Thursday.

Lee Jay-hyun is currently in the hospital waiting for the Supreme Court’s ruling on embezzlement, breach of trust and tax evasion charges. His confinement has been suspended on several occasions since August 2013.

Lawyers representing the industry mogul submitted an application for Lee’s custodial suspension with the Supreme Court on Thursday, court sources said.

By law, courts can temporarily suspend the confinement of inmates if there is an “appropriate reason,” opt to detain them elsewhere such as in hospitals, or put them under house arrest.

In December Lee filed an appeal with the Supreme Court for the second time arguing that he is innocent of the charges of breach of trust.

Lee, who has undergone a kidney transplant, claims that he suffers from multiple illnesses, including Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and kidney disease.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is an inherited neurological disease characterized by the slow, progressive degeneration of the muscles in the feet, lower legs and hands.

Lee Jay-hyun, chairman of food and entertainment company CJ Group, leaves the Seoul High Court on Dec. 15, 2015. Lee was sentenced to 30 months in prison for embezzlement, breach of trust and tax evasion on the day. His legal representatives said on July 7, 2016, that Lee, who is currently in the hospital waiting for the Supreme Court’s ruling, has again asked for a suspension of execution of his jail term, citing the need for medical treatment. (Yonhap)