Former Zimbabwe finance minister Ignatius Chombo, among those detained by the military before Robert Mugabe resigned as president, has been charged with corruption, including trying to defraud the central bank in 2004.
The court appearance on Saturday was the first time Chombo had been seen in public since being detained after the military seized power in "Operation Restore Legacy", which it said was meant to remove the "criminals" around Mugabe.
Chombo, a Mugabe ally who had been promoted to finance minister in October, told the court that he was kept blindfolded for nine days after being arrested at his home on November 15.
His lawyer has said he was beaten in detention, although Chombo made no mention of that and had no injuries visible as he stood before magistrates in Harare.
Several members of a group allied to Mugabe and his wife Grace were detained and expelled from the ruling party, including Chombo, the ousted head of the influential ZANU-PF youth league Kudzanai Chipanga and a deposed leader in the party's youth wing, Innocent Hamandishe.
Some supporters of the new president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, have been calling for unspecified action against the so-called G40 group that backed Mugabe and his wife. Chombo, Chipanga and Hamandishe were allied to the G40.
Before his inauguration, Mnangagwa on Thursday urged citizens not to undertake any form of "vengeful retribution".
The state prosecutor said Chombo was charged three counts of corruption, including attempting to defraud the Zimbabwean central bank in 2004, when he was local government minister.
He was not asked to enter a plea by the state. Chombo showed no emotion while the charges were read. The court ordered Chombo detained until Monday when his bail application will be heard.
Mugabe's fall after 37 years in power was triggered by a battle to succeed him that pitted Mnangagwa against Mugabe's much younger wife Grace, who is 52.
Mnangagwa, 75, the former vice president sacked by Mugabe this month, was sworn in as president on Friday.
