Philippine ex-President Arroyo, husband plead not guilty to corruption charges in 2nd case
MANILA, Philippines - Former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her husband have pleaded not guilty to corruption charges related to an overpriced deal with a Chinese telecommunications company.
Arroyo was arrested last year on a separate charge of electoral fraud. She has since been indicted in a second case in connection with a $330 million government contract with Chinese telecommunication company ZTE Corp.
A congressional probe found the 2007 contract overpriced and ridden with problems, including allegations that Arroyo's husband accepted bribes to push through the deal with his wife's approval.
Under public pressure, Arroyo later cancelled the deal. She left office in 2010 and faced a wide-ranging prosecution initiated by her successor's administration.
