Former Taiwan leader, Chen Shui-bian has been formally detained for his alleged involvement in overseas money laundering and graft. The Taipei District Court upheld the arrest early on Wednesday. If found guilty, Chen could face at least five years in prison.

Chen Shui-bian has made history as the island's first ex-leader to be detained.

The ruling came at the end of a marathon 21-hour court hearing that began with interrogation on Tuesday and didn't conclude until dawn on Wednesday.

The hearing was suspended for several hours after the former leader complained that he had been injured while being transported from the prosecutor's office to the nearby court building.