Samsung chief likely to be arrested for bribery

South Korea's special prosecutor's office said today it was seeking a warrant to arrest the head of Samsung Group, the country's largest conglomerate, accusing him of paying multi-million dollar bribes to a friend of President Park Geun-hye.

Samsung Group chief Jay Y. Lee was questioned for 22 straight hours last week as investigators probed a corruption scandal that resulted in parliament impeaching Park last month.

The special prosecutor's office accused Lee of paying bribes totaling 43 billion won (RM162.59 million) Choi Soon-sil, a friend of the president who is the woman at the centre of scandal.

Lee was also accused of embezzlement and perjury in the prosecution's application for an arrest warrant. Seoul's central district court said a hearing will be held at 10:30am (0130 GMT) on Wednesday to decide whether to approve the warrant. Samsung did not have an immediate comment.

"The special prosecutor's office, in making this decision to seek an arrest warrant, determined that while the country's economic conditions are important, upholding justice takes precedence," Lee Kyu-chul, a spokesman for the office, told a media briefing.