BANGKOK: Ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi pleaded not guilty Monday to a corruption charge that alleged she had accepted $600,000 and seven gold bars from a former political ally, a legal official said.

       The case is one of 10 in which she is being prosecuted under the anti-corruption law. She is accused of receiving the money and gold bars in 2017-18 from Phyo Min Thein, the former chief minister of Yangon, the country’s biggest city. He was also a senior member of her National League for Democracy party.

       Suu Kyi has been detained since the army toppled her elected government in February last year, and has not been seen or allowed to speak in public since then. All of her court hearings have been closed to the media and public. Her lawyers, before they were served with gag orders late last year, said she rejected all the corruption allegations against her as absurd.

       Suu Kyi has also faced a series of other criminal charges since her arrest. She has already been sentenced to six years’ imprisonment after being convicted of illegally importing and possessing walkie-talkies, violating coronavirus restrictions and sedition.

       Her supporters and human rights groups say the cases against her are an attempt to discredit her and keep her from returning to politics and participating in a new election the army has promised by 2023..

       Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2022