ALGIERS: An Algiers court said on Monday that three rejected presidential candidates were under “judicial supervision” and 68 people, including elected officials, were temporarily detained as part of an investigation into election fraud.
They are accused of being involved in 'signature sales' ahead of the presidential election on September 7. Candidates must raise a lot of signature sales to qualify for the election.
“Sixty-eight defendants were temporarily detained, three were placed under judicial supervision, and six were released after hearing,” the court said in a statement.
Last week, Algiers' attorney general, Lotfi Bouzema, told state news agency APS that “more than 50 elected officials” had admitted illegally accepting money to support presidential candidates.
The three candidates who will face judicial oversight on Monday were revealed to be Saida Negja, former minister Belkacem Sahlali and the relatively unknown Abdelhakim Hammadi.
Although they have not been arrested, they are required to report regularly to the authorities until the investigation is complete.
Boudjemaa said last week that those involved in the fraud “will be arrested”.
At a press conference last month before officially announcing his intention to run, Neghza complained of “difficulties” in registering and collecting signatures.
“I hope that the election process will be conducted in an atmosphere of transparency and honesty, without any favoritism,” she said.
To appear on the ballot, candidates must submit a list containing at least 50,000 individual signatures of registered voters or at least 600 signatures of members of Algeria's 29 regional councils.
Only three candidates, including incumbent Abdelmadjid Tebboune, have been approved to run in the September 7 election.
The two candidates running against Tebboune are Abdelali Hassani of the moderate Islamist Movement for Peace and Society and Youssef Aouchiche of the center-left Socialist Front.
The remaining 13 candidates were all rejected for failing to secure enough signatures to run.
