Special prosecutors on Wednesday questioned Lee Jae-yong, the de facto leader of Samsung Group, for the third time since he was arrested over bribery allegations in connection with a corruption scandal that led to President Park Geun-hye's impeachment late last year.
The investigation team, led by Independent Counsel Park Young-soo, called in the vice chairman of Samsung Electronics Co., as its investigation deadline approaches.
The Seoul Central District Court issued an arrest warrant for the business tycoon on Friday, dealing a blow to the country's largest business group that had never seen its leader put behind bars in a criminal case.
Lee faces allegations that he gave or promised some 43 billion won ($36.3 million) worth of bribes to the president's jailed friend Choi Soon-sil in return for the government's backing of a merger of two Samsung affiliates in 2015. The merger 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 younger Lee is known to be denying all charges leveled against him.
Also on Wednesday, prosecutors grilled another Samsung executive Lee Soo-hyung.
The investigation team has been accelerating the probe as its deadline is slated for Tuesday.
The special counsel has asked Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn to extend the period by a month, but it is unclear whether he will approve the request. (Yonhap)
