Not Attending Court, Aung San Suu Kyi Accused Of New Bribery By Myanmar Military Regime

JAKARTA - Myanmar's military regime announced new bribery allegations against ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Thursday, the state broadcaster said.

Nobel laureate Suu Kyi, 76, is on trial in nearly a dozen cases that carry a combined maximum sentence of at least 150 years in prison. He has been sentenced to six years in prison for another case, citing Reuters February 4.

A spokesman for Myanmar's military, which toppled Suu Kyi's government in a coup last February, could not be reached for comment. Likewise, lawyer Aung San Suu Kyi, who is barred from speaking about her case, also could not be reached for comment on the news of the new bribery allegations.

Meanwhile, Aung San Suu Kyi was too sick to attend court on Thursday, sources told The Irrawaddy. They said the 76-year-old man was suffering from dizziness and nausea.

Originally, Thursday's hearing involved an alleged violation of the Official Secrets Act, which carries a 14-year prison sentence.

Detained Australian economic adviser Sean Turnell, ousted planning and finance minister U Soe Win, his predecessor U Kyaw Win and deputy minister U Sett Aung are co-defendants in the case.

It is known that U Soe Win and U Kyaw Win were both hospitalized. They have been detained since the coup last February.

"The court accepted (Aung San Suu Kyi) leave for trial today because she was feeling sick. We don't know anything else," a court source said.

This is the second time Suu Kyi has missed a court hearing. Last year, he took time off due to motion sickness which sparked speculation that he was being held in a remote location and had poor road access.

Suu Kyi's location has not been disclosed since the February 1 coup. The military regime barred its five lawyers from speaking to the media in October and details of court trials have since been limited.

Last month, Suu Kyi was sentenced to six years in prison on five criminal charges and has since reportedly appeared in court wearing a white top and brown longyi prison uniform.

For information, the court of Myanmar's military regime has scheduled Suu Kyi's next trial on February 10.

Regarding the Myanmar Coup. VOI editors continue to unify the political situation in one of the ASEAN member countries. Civilian casualties continued to fall. Readers can follow news about the Myanmar military coup by tapping this link.