Muhyiddin Yassin was the prime minister of Malaysia during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 75-year-old former PM has been arrested just months after losing to PM Anwar Ibrahim in an election in November.
The former PM is being accused of bribery and money laundering through his government’s Covid spending fund.
The move currently ratchets up already bitter political tensions.
However, he has rejected the allegations, which his supporters say are politically driven.
Second PM To Face Charges
Mr Muhyiddin is the second former Malaysian prime minister to face corruption charges.
The first, Najib Razak was jailed for 12 years for corruption involving the state’s 1MDB investment firm.
Mr Muhyiddin is the leader of a Malay-ethnic, Muslim alliance, and he ran the country for 17 months from 2020 to 2021.
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He has a long-time rivalry with current PM Anwar. The two have a history of political betrayals that has fuelled a long enmity.
Charges And Punishment
Prosecutors have accused the former PM of sourcing $51m in bribes from companies who hoped to benefit from an emergency government spending programme.
They have also alleged two instances of money laundering through the fund.
If convicted, Mr Muhyiddin faces 20 years in prison.
He has however been released on bail after pleading ‘not guilty’ in court on Friday.
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The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission launched an anti-corruption watchdog probe and the former PM appeared before the probe on Thursday.
Two former party leaders have also been arrested on corruption charges.