A Seoul court has acquitted Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong of stock manipulation charges and other crimes related to a 2015 merger, removing the threat of jail time that has dogged him for years. Prosecutors suspected irregularities in the merger to help Lee tighten his control of the group, but the court did not recognize intention to harm shareholders and found no illegalities in Lee's succession process. The verdict clears Lee of several charges, including stock price rigging, breach of trust, and accounting fraud, related to the merger. Lee, who has already served jail time over a high-level fraud and embezzlement case, is the current executive chairman of Samsung Electronics, the crown jewel of the sprawling Samsung group. The acquittal is a major relief to Lee, who has been embroiled in legal problems for years.