Bouteflika’s brother, loyalists arrested

Algeria’s military prosecutors on Sunday ordered the temporary jailing of three key allies of former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who was forced to resign in April amid mass anti-government protests.
A military judicial council made the disclosure.
Bouteflika’s brother Said and two ex-chiefs of the country’s intelligence service Toufik Medienne and Bachir Tartaq were jailed, pending further questioning over charges of violating the army’s authority and conspiring against the state.
The orders for their jailing came as they were being questioned by a military investigative judge, according to the agency.
The three were arrested on Saturday, a day after thousands of protesters rallied in the Algerian capital for the 11th week in a row, demanding a radical change to the country’s political system.
The demonstrators also demanded public trials for what they branded as “corruption bosses” in the Bouteflika era, including his younger brother Said, who served as a presidential advisor for years.
Weeks of street protests and pressure from the influential military forced Bouteflika to step down after he had governed the energy-rich North African country for 20 years.
His rule is believed to have been dominated by cronyism and mismanagement.
In 2013, Bouteflika, now aged 82, suffered stroke amid opposition claims that his inner circle had become the de facto ruler of the country.