Algerian Police Arrest One Person On Suspicion Of Spying For Foreign Country - Reports

Algerian Police Arrest One Person on Suspicion of Spying for Foreign Country - Reports

Algerian security forces arrested one person on suspicion of spying for a foreign country, media reported on Friday

CAIRO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th December, 2019) Algerian security forces arrested one person on suspicion of spying for a foreign country, media reported on Friday.

Algeria Press Service news agency reported that the person detained was close to presidential candidate Ali Benflis.

According to law enforcement agencies, the suspect was gathering information for an unnamed foreign state.

Benflis, who served as Algerian prime minister from 2000 to 2003, thanked the special services for their help, but said that the suspect was not a member of his campaign staff. The candidate stressed that the detainee was a technical specialist, responsible for the sound at election meetings.

Algerian presidential elections are scheduled for December 12. Five candidates will run for the post. The authorities hope that the upcoming elections will put an end to the political instability in the country.

A crisis broke out in Algeria in February after then president Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced his bid to seek a fifth term in the office, triggering a wave of anti-government protests.

Bouteflika finally resigned on April 2. Upper house speaker Abdelkader Bensalah took over as interim president and initially set the election for July 4. In mid-September, Bensalah announced the decision to reschedule elections for December 12.