Subsequent to his arrest, Samsung admitted to making contributions to two non-profit foundations allegedly controlled by Choi and her Germany-based firm, but denied such contributions were related to the 2015 merger. A spokesman for Samsung said: “We will do our best to ensure that the truth is revealed in Future court proceedings.” On February 28, 2017, the Wall Street Journal reported that "South Korean prosecutors said they would indict the Samsung conglomerate’s de facto leader Lee Jae-yong on charges of bribery and four other offenses." It was reported on August 7, 2017, that prosecutors demanded a twelve-year sentence for Lee. On August 25th, Lee Jae-yong was sentenced to 5 years in jail. He will now be in prison pending a trial in the appellate court.