Imelda Marcos was indicted on graft charges Wednesday as part of government efforts to recover more than $350 million allegedly stashed by the former first family in Switzerland.
Also Wednesday, Marcos' eldest daughter, Imee, returned to the Philippines to face tax fraud charges. She was the last member of the former first family to return from exile.Government prosecutors filed six graft charges against the widow of the late President Ferdinand Marcos for allegedly violating a ban on government officials to establish private business. Five of the charges are in connection with efforts to recover funds allegedly placed in Swiss accounts.
Marcos is charged with creating and managing private companies while a member of the National Assembly during her husband's presidency.
If convicted, she could be imprisoned for six to 15 years on each count.
Solicitor Gen. Francisco Chavez said he would file more criminal charges against Marcos in connection with the transfer of money to the Swiss accounts.
The Swiss Federal Tribunal has ruled that the money cannot be returned to the Philippines unless criminal charges are filed by Friday and a conviction obtained in a trial.
The Swiss case is viewed as the last chance to recover money that the Aquino government has claimed the Marcoses stole during Ferdinand's 20-year rule.
Marcos was acquitted of federal racketeering charges during a trial in New York that ended in July 1990. Her husband was also indicted on racketeering charges but died in exile in Hawaii in 1989 before the trial began.