Niger: Some Former Parliamentarians Arrested; Detained

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NIAMEY 000640 DEPT FOR AF/W AND AF/RSA; PLS PASS TO USAID FOR AFR/W ACCRA ALSO FOR USAID/WA ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU - J MAYBURY PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KDEM SOCI PHUM NG SUBJECT: Niger: Some Former Parliamentarians Arrested; Detained Civil Society Activist Remains in Prison; Jailed Journalist Transferred Upcountry Ref: a) Niamey 630 b) Niamey 626 c) Niamey 618 d) Niamey 609 e) Niamey 567 f) Niamey 378 g) 08 Niamey 509 NIAMEY 00000640 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (U) Summary: On September 3, Niamey police summoned and arrested several former National Assembly Deputies in connection with "unduly received amounts." Detained civil society activist Marou Amadou and journalist Abdoulaye Tiemogo remain in prison. End summary. -------------- Several Members of Parliament Detained -------------- ¶2. (U) On September 3, the judicial police summoned, questioned, and detained at least 17 former National Assembly Deputies from all political parties. Reportedly, these arrests relate to the National Assembly members'"unduly received amounts" during the period of 2001 to June 2009 (ref g). The detained include: Sanoussi Jackou (PNA) Hassoumi Massaoudou (PNDS) Bazoum Mohamed (PNDS) Mrs. El-Back Zeinabou Tari Bako (PNDS) Issaka Hassane Djegoule (MODEN) Soumana Sanda (MODEN) Bonkano Maifada (MODEN) Ms. Mariama Alhassane (MNSD) Gremah Boukar (MNSD) Mrs. Mariama Mathieu (CDS) Ibrahim Abalele (CDS) Other Deputies are expected to report before investigators today. ¶3. (U) The convocation of former National Assembly members occurs a few days before the closing of candidacies to the announced legislative October 20 elections (ref d). There were also rumors that the opposition planned to support the symbolic "opening of an extraordinary session" of the National Assembly that was dissolved in May (ref f). Reportedly, the "session" was to declare Tandja in violation of the constitution, and decide that he be impeached and brought to justice. ¶4. (SBU) Political parties and analysts have criticized moves by President Tandja to have former National Assembly members pay back excess allowances that the Constitutional Court had ruled improper. According to them, Tandja was upset that Deputies had appealed directly to the Constitutional Court for advice regarding how they could stop the President from organizing the constitutional referendum. Moreover, Tandja repotedly did not appreciate the National Assembly's ove last January to create an investigative commssion on the allocation of mining permits and manaement of revenues deriving from mineral concessins. According to opposition parties, Tandja feard some Deputies intended to take actions to invesigate his family and friends who were beneficiarie of such permits. -------------- -------------- Rights Activist and Newpaper Editor Still in Prison -------------- -------------- ¶5. After the Nimey Tribunal's rejection of his August 21 request for provisional release (ref b),the senior investigating judge granted Mrou Amadou such release on August 28. In fact, aftr hearing Amadou on the merits of the case, the udge determined he no longer needed to maintain madou in custody, thus responded favorably to th second request submitted by the detainee's lawyers However, "Government of Niger authorities" objcted to and appealed the judge's decision due to"risks to disturb public order." Amadou's lawyer decided to refer the case to a higher jurisdictio, the Niamey Court of Appeals. Amadou remains in jail as of this reporting. ¶6. Le Canard Dechaine editor Abdoulaye Tiemogo, jailed on August 1 (ref e),that same date was admitted to the Niamey National Hospital due to an acute malaria attack. On August 31, security forces aboard two vehicles forcibly "extracted" Tiemogo and took him to an "unknown destination," despite the treating doctor's warning that his patient had not fully recovered, and without informing his lawyers. It was later learned that security forces transferred Tiemogo to the Ouallam prison, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) north NIAMEY 00000640 002.4 OF 002 of Niamey. His lawyers remain concerned that his health condition may deteriorate due to the poor facilities in Ouallam. ALLEN