Prosecutors again seek arrest of Samsung heir

After their first attempt was rejected by a local court in January, South Korean prosecutors on Tuesday again sought the arrest of Samsung's de facto leader over bribery charges in relation to President Park Geun-hye's corruption scandal.

The investigation team, led by Independent Counsel Park Young-soo, in January asked the Seoul Central District Court to issue a warrant to formally detain Lee Jae-yong, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics Co., but the court did not acknowledge the necessity of the arrest, Yonhap reported.

Prosecutors accused Lee of giving or promising some 43 billion won ($36.3 million) worth of bribes to the President's jailed friend Choi Soon-sil in return for the state-run pension fund's backing of a merger of two Samsung affiliates in 2015.

The business arrangement was seen as critical for the smooth management succession of the group from ailing Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee to his only son Jae-yong.

The Samsung scion has denied the allegations raised against him.

Lee was questioned for a second time on Monday, as the special prosecutors accelerated their probe into an influence-peddling scandal centred on President Park, with the investigation deadline slated for February 28.

The period can be extended once for a month with the consent of acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn.

--IANS

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