Prosecutors may seek arrest warrant for Samsung heir

A team of South Korean prosecutors probing the presidential corruption scandal indicated on Sunday that it was likely to seek an arrest warrant again for Lee Jae-yong, Samsung Group's de facto leader, the media reported.

The team, led by Special Counsel Park Young-soo, is mulling whether to again try to get an arrest warrant for the tech giant's heir apparent after it finishes a face-to-face investigation of President Park Geun-hye early next month.

"Since this is the last chance (to seek a warrant), we will be perfectly prepared to do so," a team member told Yonhap News Agency.

Under the law, the investigation will end by the end of February, although it is possible for it to be extended for another 30 days.

On January 19, a local court rejected issuing of an arrest warrant against Lee on charges of bribery, embezzlement and perjury.

The prosecuting team believes that Lee ordered his company to give tens of millions of dollars to the President's friend Choi Soon-sil in return for the state-run pension fund's backing of a merger of two Samsung affiliates.

--IANS

ksk/vt