Malaysia's ex-deputy PM slapped with 45 graft-related charges

Malaysia's former deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was hit with 45 charges by a court on Friday in a RM114 million (US$27.4 million) graft case related to alleged corruption that took place under the country's last government.

Zahid, who now leads the opposition after his United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) party, was ousted in May's general elections, attended court after spending the night in custody.

He pleaded not guilty to eight counts of abusing his power, ten counts of criminal breach of trust, and 27 counts of money laundering.

Dozens of UMNO supporters rallied outside the court, slamming the charges as politically motivated.

Former Prime Minister Najib Razak and his wife also were charged with graft after the elections.

Najib was himself arrested last month, with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission saying in a statement that the former prime minister was taken in amid an investigation into "the entry of 2.6 billion ringgit ($628 million) into his personal account". 

Najib's government had been dogged by a scandal involving the country's The 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) sovereign wealth fund, with the former leader accused of siphoning siphoning $700m from the fund.

Najib claimed that the money, which was deposited in his personal bank account, was a donation from the Saudi royalty.