ALGIERS, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- The head of Algerian former ruling party, the National Liberation Front (FLN), Mohamed Djemai, on Thursday was placed under custody pending trial, local media reported.
The official APS news agency quoted a source in capital Algiers that Djemai has been sent to the prison of El Harrach, where several other high ranking officials and prominent businessmen are jailed, as part of a wide scale anti-corruption operation in this North African nation.
The source specified that the defendant appeared earlier on Thursday before the public prosecutor, and then was referred to the examining magistrate, over charges of threatening and destroying official documents.
The Parliament's Committee for Legal, Administrative and Freedoms validated recently a request of Justice Minister Belkacem Zeghmati for waiving the parliamentary immunity of three parliament members, including Mohammed Djemai. The other two are Smail Benhamadi and Berri Saker.
Several prominent businessmen, including tycoons Issad Rebrab, Ali Heddad, and Mahieddine Tahkout, were placed under custody amid an unprecedented anti-corruption operation launched by the Algerian justice following the ousting of former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
Some government senior officials, including two former prime ministers Abdelmalek Sellal and Ahmed Ouyahia, were also detained.
