The prosecutors investigating a savings bank scandal said they would take steps to arrest Park Jie-won, floor leader of the main opposition Democratic United Party, if he rejects a third summons issued Wednesday.

The prosecution ordered Park to appear on Friday for questioning over suspicions that he had received kickbacks from the management of ailing savings banks.

This is the third time the political bigwig has been called in for the investigation related to the scandal which also implicates President Lee Myung-bak’s elderly brother, former presidential aides and leading politicians.

“This will be the last summons. If he rejects it again, we have no choice but to take measures for apprehension,” a prosecutor said.

Park, who rejected the previous subpoenas, said he will not respond this time, either. He claimed the investigation was politically motivated.

“We have refused the previous two summons because we did not want to be a part of a political gambit,” Park Yong-jin, spokesman of DUP, said. “Park Jie-won made it clear that he will not be summoned. The prosecutors should instead find another way for his investigation,” he added.

Officers of the special investigation division of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office suspect that Park Jie-won received more than 100 million won ($85,000) from Lim Seok, chairman of Solomon Savings Bank, in 2008. Lim has been indicted for embezzlement and other charges.

Park is also believed to have pocketed around 30 million won each from Bohae Savings Bank CEO Oh Mun-cheol and former Bohae Brewery chief Lim Geon-wu, in 2010 and 2011 respectively, to halt Suwon prosecutors’ investigation into the suspended bank.

Park denied all allegations. But the prosecution threatened to file for an arrest warrant for Park should he not appear on Friday, showing a firm determination to prosecute him.

To put him in custody, the court must request the Ministry of Justice to submit a motion to the National Assembly for consent to the arrest, based on the National Assembly Act which grants lawmakers’ immunity from arrest during session.

Meanwhile, the investigators are reportedly planning to indict Lee Sang-deuk, the elder brother of President Lee Myung-bak, for allegedly receiving more than 750 million won from Lim and Kim Chan-kyong, chairman of Mirae Mutual Savings Bank, in 2007 in exchange for peddling his influence in having Kim and Lee’s institutions evade state shutdown orders on financially unstable savings banks.

The fund is suspected to have been used to sponsor Lee’s younger brother during the presidential election. Lee would be the first sibling of an incumbent president to be indicted for irregularities.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)