Former New Orleans mayor denies corruption

Ray Nagin, the former Mayor of New Orleans, US, has pleaded not guilty to charges of fraud, bribery, money laundering and the corrupt awarding of contracts in the city.

Mr Nagin, who was granted bail with a US$ 100,000 bond, is scheduled to stand trial on 29 April.

A 21-count federal indictment accuses him of accepting bribes including cash payments and holidays since at least 2004 in exchange for granting contracts, including reconstruction work in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, which struck New Orleans in 2005.

The indictment comes after a New Orleans city investigation found Mr Nagin guilty of corruption.