Former Maldives President Yameen Abdul Gayoom has appeared in court to answer money laundering charges.

Yameen appeared in criminal court in Male, the capital, on Monday afternoon after the country's top prosecutor charged him last week with money laundering.

Prosecutors say police investigations found $1 million allegedly linked to a shady tourist resort development deal in his bank account.

Yameen lost his bid for re-election last year in a surprise upset by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who campaigned on a promise to investigate allegations of corruption by his predecessor's government.

Solih has also suspended two of his Cabinet ministers over money allegedly found in their accounts from the same deal.