The police booked Samsung Electronics CEO Kim Ki-nam as a criminal investigation result of an interim probe into the company's Giheung plant in Yongin, which killed three people in September due to the carbon dioxide (CO2) leakage
Also, the police said that the cause of the accident is believed to be corrosion and cracking of valves that are about 20 years old.
The Yongin Dongbu Police Station in Gyeonggi Province indicted three Samsung Electronics officials, including CEO Kim, on charges of violating the Chemicals Management Act on Dec. 13.
Sixteen people, including Park Chan-hoon, vice president of Samsung Electronics, and officials of the company who were killed in the accident were also indicted.
Based on the recent appraisals of the National Forensic Service and the Korea Fire Institute, the police announced such probe results.
The accident occurred on Sept. 4 when a CO2 was leaked in a corridor next to the CO2 collection room on the basement floor of Samsung's Giheung plant. Two employees of the subcontractor were killed and one person seriously injured in the accident. It has been confirmed that the leaked valve was manufactured in 1998.
In addition, the police are also investigating Samsung's alleged belated report. As it was reported that Samsung reported the accident only one hour and 49 minutes after the accident, the Ministry of Environment pointed out that the report should have been immediately made after the accident.
Related to this, the ministry reported the Samsung side to the police in October.
