The 67-year-old Lee has one week to appeal the verdict.

Lee, a South Korean business tycoon who succeeded his father who founded Samsung, is credited with the rise of Samsung group as a global player.

He has faced a series of litigations in the past few years.

Lee resigned as chairman of Samsung Electronics in April last year after he was convicted in 2008 of tax evasion.

The tax evasion and breach-of-duty charges date back to January 2008 when Samsung group's former chief lawyer Kim Yong Chul alleged corruption at Samsung which led to an investigation.