India fears its country’s investment reputation could be further tarnished after the Supreme Court ordered Lee Kun-Hee, South Korea’s richest man, to appear before a suburban New Delhi trial court within six weeks to answer fraud accusations over the $1.4-million dispute.
Government officials have been meeting senior executives of the consumer electronics firm to discuss how to ensure Lee does not have to appear personally in court, Amitabh Kant, industrial policy secretary, told AFP.
“Whatever way the government can help and protect Samsung we will be very happy to do,” Kant said.
South Korea is a large investor in India through carmaker Hyundai, Samsung and other companies.
Kant called Samsung’s dispute with New Delhi-based JCE Consultancy an “isolated case” and added the government is anxious to ensure the row does not “affect the investment climate in India in any way”.