South Korea prosecutor to decide on seeking arrest of Samsung head by Sunday

The South Korean special prosecutor will decide whether to seek an arrest warrant for Samsung Group [SAGR.UL] leader Jay Y. Lee within two days, a spokesman for the investigation team said on Friday.

The 48-year-old executive was named as a suspect on suspicions that include bribery and perjury and was questioned for more than 22 hours until his release early on Friday.

Lee Kyu-chul, a spokesman for the special prosecutor's office, told a regular briefing that a final decision had yet to be made on an arrest warrant. That decision could come as late as Sunday, he said.

Prosecutors are trying to determine if payments of about 30 billion won ($25 million) Samsung made to foundations and a business backed by a confidante of President Park Geun-hye were connected to a 2015 decision by the National Pension Service to back a controversial merger of two Samsung Group affiliates.

(Reporting by Joyce Lee; Writing by Ju-min Park; Editing by Paul Tait)