The ousted chief minister of Sagaing Region has been charged under the Anti-Corruption Law in Monywa, the junta’s Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported.
Myint Naing was charged on Wednesday along with four of his regional cabinet members and two staff for alleged graft while serving under the National League for Democracy (NLD) government, the newspaper said.
The chief minister was detained by the regime in the days after the coup on February 1, when the military toppled the elected civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi.
He is an NLD central executive committee member and has already been charged with incitement after issuing a series of statements calling on the public to resist the coup.
The regional cabinet members also charged on Wednesday are transport minister Than Nyunt Win, planning and finance minister Soe Oo, Chin ethnic affairs minister Lal Thawng Thang, and Kam Zar Mon, the minister for agriculture.
Two personal assistants to Kam Zar Mon and Than Nyunt Win are also accused of agreeing to take bribes. Their names are Wai Lin Hlaing and Myat Thant Sin.
Myint Naing is accused of leaking information about floor prices to companies to help them win bids for government contracts, as well as of accepting gifts and of costing the state 2.9bn kyat by failing to collect pre-tax payments from gold mining companies.
Than Nyunt Win and Soe Oo were also accused of leaking tender information and of causing revenue loss to the state.
Kam Zar Mon and Lal Thawng Thang were accused of failing to provide “systematic supervision” to the chief minister while he was losing the state large amounts of money.
They were also charged under Section 55 of the anti-corruption law, which carries a prison sentence of up to 15 years for members of an administration who abuse their positions.
The two assistants, Wai Lin Hlaing and Myat Thant Sin, were accused of leaking tender floor prices to business owners in exchange for large bribes.
Wai Lin Hlaing allegedly took 90m kyat while Myat Thant Sin agreed to take a 3% cut of the business from a government contract if the company he leaked information to won the tender, the report said.
The two were charged under Section 56 of the anti-graft law, which punishes abusing a position in a government office by taking bribes with up to 10 years in prison.
Since seizing power, the coup regime has filed corruption cases against ousted religion and culture minister Aung Ko, Mon State chief minister Aye Zan, and Kayin State chief minister Nan Khin Htwe Myint.
Ousted president Win Myint faces two charges; one for incitement and another for violating Covid-19 rules during campaigning in last year’s election. Suu Kyi faces six charges, including one under the Official Secret Act.
The junta has said its Anti-Corruption Commission is investigating Suu Kyi and has released videos of notorious businessman Maung Weik and ousted Yangon chief minister Phyo Min Thein accusing her of accepting bribes.
