Lee Jae-yong, Samsung’s billionaire heir and South Korea’s third-richest man, was sentenced Friday to five years in prison for his role in a sprawling corruption scandal that has gripped the country and toppled its former president.

Lee Jae-yong, the de facto head of Samsung, denied during his trial on Wednesday allegations that he bribed South Korea’s impeached ex-President Park Gue-hye to keep control of his business empire.

Samsung’s de facto leader Lee Jae-yong denied on Friday bribery allegations at his first court hearing in connection to the influence-peddling scandal that end of last year lead to the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye, state media reported.

Former South Korean President Park Geun-hye was arrested on Friday over a corruption and influence-peddling scandal that led to mass protests and her removal from office, local media reported.

South Korea’s Constitutional Court ruled on Friday to uphold the impeachment of president Park Geun-hye over a corruption scandal, making her the country’s first democratically elected president to be removed from office.

Samsung Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong was arrested on Friday for his alleged connection to the influence-peddling scandal that rocked South Korea at the end of last year and lead to the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye, state media reported.

South Korean prosecutors sought a warrant Monday to arrest Samsung Group leader Lee Jae-yong in a bribery case linked to last month’s impeachment of the country’s President Park Geun-hye, state media reports.