Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has been charged with three counts of criminal breach of trust, after he was arrested in an unprecedented anti-corruption investigation.
Najib, wearing a suit and a red tie, appeared calm and smiled as he was escorted into the court complex packed with reporters.
He was arrested Tuesday by anti-graft officials over a suspicious transfer of 42 million ringgit ($10.4 million) into his bank accounts from SRC International, a former unit of the 1MDB state investment fund that US investigators say was looted of billions by associates of Najib.
State news agency Bernama said Najib could be charged with more than 10 counts of criminal breach of trust, which has a maximum penalty of 20 years prison for each charge.
Najib, 64, denies any wrongdoing and has accused the new government of seeking "political vengeance."
"Najib is the first (former) prime minister ever to be charged in court in the history of Malaysia," said Tian Chua, vice president of Parti Keadilan Rakyat, a key political party in the current ruling coalition.
"It signals a new era where no one in public office will be immune from punitive action if they abuse power," he added.
Najib defiant
Malaysia's former prime minister Najib Razak speaks to press at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission in May. Source: NurPhoto
In a pre-recorded video posted on social media hours after his arrest, Najib apologized to Malaysians but remained defiant.
"As a normal human being, I am not perfect but believe me, that the accusations against me and my family are not all true," he said.
New Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad reopened investigations into 1MDB that were stifled under Najib's rule.
Najib set up 1MDB when he took power in 2009 but the fund amassed billions in debts and is being investigated in the US and several other countries.
Najib and his wife were questioned last month over the SRC case by the anti- graft agency and have both been barred from leaving the country. Police have also seized jewelry and valuables valued at more than 1.1 billion ringgit ($272 million) from properties linked to Najib.
US investigators say $4.5 billion was stolen and laundered from 1MDB by Najib's associates, including some $700 million that landed in Najib's bank account.
Bridget Welsh, a Southeast Asia expert at John Cabot University in Rome, said Najib's arrest was the "inevitable outcome" after he lost power.
"It shows the resolve of the new government to address previous abuses of power. It has been done judiciously so far and speaks to a needed reckoning for Malaysia and a key step toward a cleaner governance," she said in an email.
Malaysia's new attorney general, Tommy Thomas, will head the prosecution in the case.
"Now the case is entering the judicial process and the law (will) have to take its course," Oh Ei Sun, from Malaysian think-tank the Pacific Research Center, told AFP.
