The chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office reported the results of the investigation to Prosecutor General Moon Moo-il on Friday. Moon is expected to determine whether to seek a warrant for Lee early this week.

"I'm deliberating on it," Moon told reporters Monday morning when asked if he made up his mind.

Prosecutors investigating the case have reportedly been pitching strongly for an arrest warrant in light of the seriousness of the case and concern Lee could attempt to destroy evidence, such as manipulating witnesses, as he's been denying most of the charges.

The prosecutor general is also expected to take into consideration some opposite views that Lee's arrest wouldn't make any big difference, and it would be enough to indict him without physical detention because prosecutors have secured enough evidence.

Should the prosecution seek a warrant, Lee would become the second former president to undergo arraignment, a sort of questioning the court holds before deciding whether to issue an arrest warrant, since the system was introduced in 1997.

The first was Lee's successor, Park Geun-hye.

Meanwhile, prosecutors are looking into whether to call in Lee's wife, Kim Yoon-ok, for questioning about suspicions that she took close to 1 billion won in illicit money from the state intelligence agency and others. (Yonhap)