Lawyer Khin Maung Zaw said that four charges related to the Anti-Corruption Law filed by the military junta against State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi will be conducted on October 1 at the Zabuthiri Special Court in Nay Pyi Taw.

She will face a new trial on four charges of corruption beginning on October 1 in the capital Nay Pyi Taw, her lawyer Khin Maung Zaw said.

Each corruption charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years.

These four charges were previously scheduled to be heard in the Mandalay Region High Court, but will now be heard in a special court in Nay Pyi Taw’s Zabuthiri Township.

Lawyer Khin Maung Zaw said that seven members of the legal team will serve for the cases.

"Today (September 17), the police contacted and told the lawyer team that all four charges of corruption against Daw Suu will be tried in the Zabuthiri court,” he said. “All four charges were initially heard in the Mandalay court. Now, all cases will be heard at the Zabuthiri Special Court in Nay Pyi Taw,” he said.

In addition, a section of the Official Secret Act that was filed in the Eastern District Court of Yangon will also be tried in the Nay Pyi Taw Special Court.

The junta alleged that the 76-year-old State Counsellor received US$600,000 and about 11.4 kg of gold from the former Yangon Region Chief Minister.

In addition, the military junta said in a statement in June that Aung San Suu Kyi, Dr Myo Aung, Ye Min Oo and Min Thu have been charged under Section 55 of the Anti-Corruption Law for a case related to Layaungtaw Project in Nay Pyi Taw.

Aung San Suu Kyi is currently facing four charges under the Anti-Corruption Law, two charges under the Disaster Management Law, a charge under section 505 (b) of the Penal Code for alleged incitement, a charge under Official Secrets Act 3 (1-c), a charge under Section 67 of the Telecommunications Act and a charge under Section 8 of the Export and Import Law.

Journalists have been barred from all proceedings so far.

Her National League for Democracy (NLD) government was deposed by the military on 1 February for alleged voter fraud during the 2020 polls, in which it trounced a political party aligned with the generals.

Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing said last month that elections would be held and a state of emergency lifted by August 2023, extending the military's initial one-year timeline announced immediately after the coup.

Mizzima, additional reporting AFP