Algerian senator arrested in anti-corruption sweep

ALGIERS, Algeria – An Algerian senator close to ex-President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has been jailed on accusations of corruption.

State television announced that a Supreme Court judge ordered Djamel Ould Abbas incarcerated in Algiers on Sunday after several hours of questioning for alleged wrongdoing when he was government minister during Bouteflika’s first term, 1999-2004.

Accusations include falsifying official documents and abusing his office for personal enrichment, according to the state television report.

Abbas, vice-president of Algeria’s Senate, has not publicly commented on the accusations. He relinquished his parliamentary immunity amid growing political pressure over the case.

He is the latest of several high-profile figures arrested in an anti-corruption sweep since Bouteflika was pushed out of office in April by mass protests backed by Algeria’s army chief.