Malaysia ex-PM Najib Razak hit with 25 new charges linked to 1MDB scandal

Malaysia's former prime minister Najib Razak was hit with 25 charges of corruption and money laundering linked to the 1MDB mega-scandal on Thursday, including allegations that hundreds of millions of dollars were transferred into his personal bank accounts.

Najib, however, pleaded not guilty to all charges after they were read to him in court in Kuala Lumpur.

Najib, who suffered a shock election defeat in May, was produced before the court today after he arrested a day before.

He has already been arrested twice and hit with several counts related to 1MDB since losing power, but observers say the latest charges represent a major step forward in efforts to bring him to justice.

Mahathir, 93, who is in his second stint as premier after coming out of retirement to take on scandal-mired Najib, has ramped up probes in the 1MDB scandal and vowed to have the ex-leader prosecuted.

The 64-year-old was initially detained Wednesday by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission over the alleged bank transfers, before facing further questioning by police Thursday morning.

Afterwards, deputy national police chief Noor Rashid Ibrahim said in a statement that "as many as 21 charges involving $681 million have been prepared".

The charges include "nine counts of receiving illegal money, five counts of using illegal money and seven counts of transferring illegal money to other entities," he said.

(With inputs from AFP)