December 17, 1986

The special prosecutor investigating Michael K. Deaver and his lobbying activities has found evidence that he and his associates may have conspired to violate Federal ethics laws, according to a court motion made public today. In the motion, the prosecutor, Whitney North Seymour Jr., said that people linked to Mr. Deaver, a former top White House aide, ''may have obstructed justice, given false testimony or made false statements'' in the course of the investigation. Today, a Federal appeals court panel, in response to the Dec. 11 motion, agreed to broaden Mr. Seymour's jurisdiction to permit prosecution of other people and prosecution of Mr. Deaver on charges that he lied in testimony before Congress last May. Some See Decision Near Mr. Deaver, the former deputy White House chief of staff who is a close friend of President Reagan and his wife, has been under scrutiny in connection with Federal ethics laws that restrict lobbying by former Government officials. He and his associates have repeatedly denied wrongdoing.

A family-held Japanese concern that is the world's largest manufacturer of corn syrup purchased a two-year-old Manhattan skyscraper yesterday for a record price for office space in New York. The building, on 49th Street east of Fifth Avenue, was bought by the Kato Kagaku Company for $301 million. The deal was between Kato and the developers of the 44-story building: David S. Solomon, G. Ware Travelstead and the First Boston Corporation. It represents the latest in a string of sales of occupied office buildings to Japanese investors at prices sharply higher than those that prevailed only six months ago. At $500 a square foot, it easily surpasses the record for a major office building set in October when the Shuwa Corporation acquired the headquarters of ABC for $175 million, or about $365 a foot.

With the help of a private conservation group, the Florida today moved to acquire and protect 60 miles of unspoiled Gulf Coast shoreline. The land includes nearly 70,000 acres of salt marshes and hardwood trees on the Big Bend region of Florida. It is land laced with pristine streams and rich in wildlife, some of it threatened with extinction. The Florida State Cabinet, meeting in Tallahassee today, approved an appropriation of nearly $20 million to purchase most of the land from the Nature Conservancy, a 35-year-old nonprofit group that identifies and acquires unspoiled natural areas significant for their rarity or their wildlife.

The Kean Administration's first attempt to have private developers build the major recreational attractions of Liberty State Park here is bogged down by long negotiations on a lease and opposition by city officials. At issue is a 600-boat marina that was to open next spring on 57 acres along the northern shore of the 750-acre park. Officials fear the problems and criticism sparked by the proposed marina may delay its opening until 1988. Two months ago, Governor Kean was to have presided at a ground-breaking for the marina. But the ceremony was canceled after state authorities began revising an initial lease for the boatyard to try to make it less favorable to the proposed developer.

Companies Two large banking concerns in Texas agreed to merge. The combination of Republicbank and Interfirst, to be called First Republicbank, would form the nation's 12th-largest bank holding company, with $35 billion in assets. The announcement came just a day after Chemical announced a $1.19 billion deal for Texas Commerce Bancshares. [ Page D1. ] Potential acquirers of Texas banking companies are now left with few desirable choices, experts said. [ D4. ] A two-year-old Manhattan tower was bought by a Japanese concern for a record price for New York office space. Kato Kagaku, the world's largest corn syrup producer, will pay $301 million, or $500 a square foot, for the building on East 49th Street. [ D1. ]