Zahid, who currently leads the opposition as president of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), waved to supporters and the media as he arrived in court where he was charged with abuse of power, criminal breach of trust, and money laundering amounting to 114 million ringgit ($27.4m).
Some of the charges relate to the misuse of funds from a charitable foundation set up by his family, while others are in connection with questionable payments he received when he was home minister from 2013 until earlier this year. Zahid has denied any wrongdoing.
‘Moral support’
UMNO ruled Malaysia for six decades before its defeat in May’s general election, amid simmering public anger over a multi-billion dollar scandal at state fund 1MDB that was overseen by former prime minister and finance minister Najib Razak.
Najib and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, are already facing trial in relation to multiple 1MDB-related charges.
Najib, who local media reported was at court on Friday to give “moral support” to his former deputy, has denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to 32 criminal charges involving more than 2.3 billion ringgit ($553m) allegedly siphoned from the fund. Rosmah has pleaded not guilty to 17 money-laundering offences.
Malaysia has frozen hundreds of bank accounts and blocked several people from leaving the country as it steps up investigations into how billions of dollars allegedly went missing from state coffers.
US authorities say more than $4.5bn was misappropriated from 1MDB, and nearly $700m diverted into Najib’s personal bank accounts.
