KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — The Latest on the 1MDB corruption case against former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak (all times local):

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has been charged in a Malaysian lower court with three counts of criminal breach of trust stemming from the corruption scandal at a state investment fund. Najib, 64, who has denied wrongdoing in relation to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) fund he founded, was charged with abuse of power and three counts of criminal breach of trust as part of an investigation into a transaction involving its former unit SRC International. State news agency Bernama said Najib could be charged Wednesday with more than 10 counts of criminal breach of trust, which has a maximum penalty of 20 years prison. 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 U.S. investigators say was looted of billions by associates of Najib. U.S. 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. Mahathir Mohamad, who helped Najib’s political ascent before turning on him as the allegations surfaced, led a campaign that unseated Najib in a May 9 election and ousted a coalition that had ruled since Malaysia’s independence from Britain in 1957. Najib, who spent the night in lockup, arrived at 8.20 a.m. (0020 GMT) at the court complex in Malaysia's capital of Kuala Lumpur, wearing a dark blue suit and a red tie. A spokesman for Najib said on Tuesday that the SRC charges and the 1MDB investigations against the former leader were "politically motivated", and that Najib will contest the charges and clear his name in court. Mahathir said in an interview with Reuters last month that embezzlement and bribery with government money were among the charges that Malaysia was looking to bring against Najib, 64, adding that Najib was fully responsible for the 1MDB scandal. Since his election loss, Najib has been barred from leaving the country and investigators have seized luxury handbags, jewellery and other items worth millions of dollars from properties linked to his family. At a news conference after the hearing, Najib said a trial was "the best chance for me to clear my name after all the slander and accusations."
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is charged with abuse of power and three counts of criminal breach of trust. He pleads not guilty to all charges and accuses the government of seeking "political vengeance."