GettyA journalist takes a photo of a washing machine at the IFA trade fair.The head of LG's home appliance division may be forced to miss the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in 2015 because of a bizarre incident in which he was accused of sabotaging a rival's washing machine.
CNET reports that LG executive Jo Seong-jin has been banned by Korean prosecutors from travelling to Las Vegas to attend the important CES trade show.
It's all down to an incident that occurred in Berlin back in September. Jo Seong-jin was attending the IFA trade show, where tech companies go to show off their latest gadgets. Employees at an electronics store in central Berlin allegedly discovered the LG executive damaging the door hinges of a Samsung washing machine. Samsung is LG's biggest rival, and the two companies have accused each other of spying on each other in the past.
Samsung filed a lawsuit and a complaint with the police against Jo, accusing him of property damage and defamation. LG denied the claims, countersuing Samsung for defamation and tampering with evidence. LG claims that the machine was already damaged when Jo touched it, and that a Samsung employee did it on purpose.
LG has asked prosecutors - who are conducting a criminal investigation, according to CNET - for a temporary lift on the travel ban so that Jo can travel to CES. But so far, its request hasn't been met.