KUALA LUMPUR: The wife of former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, Rosmah Mansor, was arrested on Wednesday by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
She was spending a night in detention before being taken to court to face money-laundering charges.
"Rosmah will face several charges," the agency said in a statement on Wednesday, adding that the charges covered infringements of a law against money laundering and other unlawful activities.
Rosmah's lawyer, K. Kumaraendran, confirmed her arrest but declined to comment.
Wearing a bright green traditional dress, Rosmah smiled at reporters but didn't speak as she was escorted into the agency's building. She was first summoned by the agency on June 5 and again on Sept 26, when she was questioned for nearly 13 hours. Local media have reported that she could face up to 20 charges.
Najib himself has pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of money laundering, corruption, abuse of power and criminal breach of trust in the scandal and is to face trial next year.
Rosmah, 66, was taken into custody at the MACC headquarters, where she was questioned for the third time in an investigation into alleged graft linked to state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
Coincidentally, Najib will also appear in court Thursday for the management of his own corruption case.
Rosmah, 66, is widely reviled for her opulent lifestyle and penchant for expensive jewelry and designer Birkin bags that led to her being compared with former Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos and her extravagant collection of shoes.
Police found hundreds of luxury handbags, jewellery and cash - worth more than $266 million (8.63 billion baht) - during raids on apartments linked to the family shortly after Najib's shocking electoral defeat in May.
Among items seized were 567 handbags, 423 watches and 12,000 pieces of jewellery, including 1,400 necklaces, 2,200 rings, 2,800 pairs of earrings and 14 tiaras. Najib has said the items were mostly gifts to his family.
In a biography in 2013, Rosmah said it was common for a prime minister's wife to receive expensive jewellery and gifts. She also said she had earned millions of ringgit from her own music album, which wasn't released to the public but was bought by government ministers who were fans of her singing talent.
Their daughter Nooryana Najwa Najib slammed the government for going after the family.
"I can accept taking action on a man who was in power, but putting the women in his life in harm's way is going too far," she wrote on Instagram, citing a recent police raid on the house of Najib's mother as well as Rosmah's arrest. "I suppose tomorrow makes for a great picture and media circus."
Nooryana posted a picture of a young Rosmah holding herself as a toddler, and vowed "we will persevere."
An MACC source confirmed that Rosmah, who arrived at the MACC headquarters at 10.45am, was arrested at 3.20pm.
The anti-graft agency did not say if the charges against Rosmah relate to 1MDB.
Najib, 64, himself faced questioning on Wednesday by the anti-money laundering and anti-terror financing division of Malaysia's police over a money laundering inquiry, media said.
He is to be in court on Thursday for a pre-trial hearing of charges related to 1MDB.