ALGIERS: An Algiers court said on Monday that three rejected presidential candidates had been placed under “judicial supervision” while another 68 people, including elected officials, were temporarily detained as part of an investigation into electoral fraud.
They are suspected of being involved in the “sale of signatures” for the upcoming presidential election, which is to be held on September 7. In order to be eligible to run, candidates must collect a large amount.
“Sixty-eight defendants were placed in temporary custody, three were placed under judicial supervision and six were released after a hearing,” the court said in a statement.
Last week, Lotfi Boudjemaa, the prosecutor general at the Algiers court, told the state news agency APS that “more than 50 elected officials” had admitted to illegally receiving money to support presidential candidates.
On Monday, three candidates were named under judicial supervision as Saida Neghza, former minister Belkacem Sahli and a relatively unknown hopeful named Abdelhakim Hamadi.
Even if they are not arrested, they will have to report to the authorities regularly until the investigation is concluded.
Boudjemaa said last week that those involved in the fraud “will be arrested”.
At a press conference before officially filing her candidacy last month, Neghza complained about “problems” in the process of registering and collecting signatures.
She said she hoped “the electoral process will take place in an atmosphere of transparency and integrity, without any favoritism”.
To qualify for the ballot, candidates must submit a list of at least 50,000 individual signatures from registered voters or from 600 members from at least 29 Algerian provincial assemblies.
Only three candidates, including incumbent Abdelmadjid Tebboun, were approved to run for the September 7 election.
Abdelaali Hassani of the moderate Islamist Party Movement for Peace and Youssef Aouchiche of the center-left Socialist Forces Front are the two candidates who will oppose Tebboun.
The remaining 13 candidates were all denied their candidacy after failing to collect the required number of signatures in support.
