La Paz, Dec. 13 -- A Bolivian court has ordered former President Luis Arce to remain in pre-trial detention for five months as prosecutors pursue an investigation into alleged embezzlement of public funds earmarked for Indigenous communities.

Arce, who stepped down from office last month, appeared via video link before Judge Elmer Laura on Friday, two days after he was detained in La Paz.

The court rejected requests from his defence for release and ruled that he be held in one of the capital's central prisons, citing the gravity of the allegations, which the judge said "directly affect state assets and resources allocated to vulnerable sectors," Al Jazeera reported.

The judge's decision means Arce will remain in custody while investiga...