Pakistan's former prime minister Benazir Bhutto appeared in a Geneva court on Monday to face Geneva investigators concerning a money-laundering case.

Ahead of the hearing, Bhutto told reporters that she was the target of a vendetta by her political foes in Pakistan and she was confident of being cleared.

"It pains me that they are using the judicial authorities here to score certain political points back home in Pakistan," said Bhutto, who governed Pakistan from 1988 to 1990 and again from 1993 to 1996.

Bhutto and her husband have been under Swiss investigation since 1997 and were formally charged last year of accepting commissions for awarding contracts to Swiss companies seeking business in Pakistan.

Swiss judicial authorities have blocked some 13 million US dollars in Swiss bank accounts held by companies concerned.

Bhutto's lawyer said the judge would decide later how to proceed with the hearing and there would be more meetings coming since there were more witnesses to be heard.

The lawyer said Bhutto's husband was unable to attend the hearing because of poor health condition.

Bhutto, whose government was sacked in November 1996 following corruption accusations, now lives in self-imposed exile in London and Dubai.

Source: Xinhua