Police investigating the alleged tailing of CJ Group chairman Lee Jae-hyun by Samsung Group employees have referred Samsung C&T Corp. and Samsung Electronics employees to the prosecutors’ office, suggesting indictment.

According to the police, four employees of Samsung C&T and one from Samsung Electronics have been charged with obstruction of business for tailing Lee. All five work in the audit departments at their companies.

The case first came to light in February when one of the Samsung employees tailing Lee was involved in a minor car accident with a CJ Group employee.

The police said that the suspects were found to have used rented vehicles and pre-paid phones while tailing Lee, and caused problems in CJ Group’s operations in terms of meeting schedules and similar events.

The four Samsung C&T employees were also shown to have operated in two-man teams to monitor Lee’s movement to and from his home. The suspects are also thought to have followed not only Lee, but other individuals involved.

The pre-paid phones, registered under the name of a Chinese national and used by Samsung C&T employees, were purchased by the Samsung Electronics employee.

The police, however, were not able to search the homes and offices of four of the five people who had used the pre-paid phones, as the requests for warrants were turned down by the courts.

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)