Niger: 30 lawmakers arrested

  1. Posted on Monday 7 September 2009 - 09:49
    KingsleyKobo
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    Kingsley Kobo, AfricaNews reporter in Abidjan, Ivory Coast
    Thirty former lawmakers have been arrested in Niger for an alleged embezzlement of public funds. The sacked parliamentarians are facing more troubles from President Mamadou Tandja's administration, which declared a crack-down on ex-lawmakers since last week Thursday, media reports said.
    niger map
    But the Coordination of Forces for Democracy and the Republic (CFDR), a coalition of opposition parties, non-governmental organizations and labour unions, denounced the arrests calling them political and witch-hunting, according to AFP. “The 30 personalities arrested are essentially from opposition parties and they have been in police custody in Niamey (capital) since Thursday,” the CFDR said in a statement broadcast on radio stations.

    It maintained that the arrests were based on a report commissioned on the orders of Tandja, whom it accused of “diverting state resources to settle political scores”.

    It demanded the immediate release of its members.

    Opposition leader, Mahamadou Issoufou, told Radio France Internationale (RFI) on Friday that “the regime has decided to proceed with the arrest of members who are trying to reinstate the National Assembly.”

    But a government spokesperson said the arrests came in the wake of an investigation by prosecutors upon the inspection of parliament's books which revealed irregularities. She said there were false contracts and invoices running into about 10 billion CFA francs (15 million euros, 22 million dollars).

    Tandja, who has been in power since 1999, dissolved the Parliament and Supreme Court for opposing his bid to hold a constitutional referendum, which he won in a landslide, and which grants him a free chance to remain in power as long as he wishes.

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