Independent counsel files arrest warrant for Samsung heir apparent Lee Jae-yong

Turning our focus to the investigation into the massive corruption scandal gripping Korea.
An arrest warrant for Samsung's defacto leader has been requested yet again by the independent
counsel team.
The team is also expected to seek a 30-day extension to give itself more time to complete
the investigation.
Our Hwang Ho-jun brings us up to speed with the process.
After a marathon questioning session the day before, the independent counsel team has filed
an arrest warrant for Samsung heir apparent Lee Jae-yong.
In Tuesday's briefing, the counsel's spokesperson gave few details about the 15-hour-long session,
but he did say,...
"The independent counsel will round-up the interrogation results and decide whether to
re-request an arrest warrant within a day or two."
But the team announced its decision less than four hours later.
They had initially requested a warrant for Lee Jae-yong's arrest on charges of bribery,
embezzlement and perjury after his first questioning session about a month ago, but that was rejected
by the court.
And according to observers, that's most likely why the independent counsel team has been
extra cautious because if the second warrant request gets turned down, the probe would
be dealt a serious blow.
With time running out, the independent counsel also hopes to question President Park Geun-hye
herself, but the spokesperson did not answer questions about how it plans to proceed on
that front.
He did, however, confirm, that the team will need more time than it was initially given.
The independent counsel had recently been asked in writing by the main opposition Democratic
Party of Korea and the minor opposition People's Party... about its stance on a possible extension,
to which the spokesperson said the team had replied that one would indeed be necessary.
Exactly two weeks from Tuesday, the independent counsel's initial mandate for the investigation
expires.While it's still unclear whether it will seek -- or be granted -- a 30-day extension,
the team says it will continue to do its best, as a matter of principle, to get to the bottom
of the corruption scandal.
Hwang Hojun, Arirang News.

Independent counsel files arrest warrant for Samsung heir apparent Lee Jae-yong

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