Niger detains two ex-ministers on graft charges

NIAMEY, Oct 7 (Reuters) Niger detained two former education ministers on Saturday to await trial on charges of embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars belonging to the impoverished African state, a magistrate said.

The two will face trial before the High Court of Justice, which is comprised of members of parliament, after the national assembly voted overwhelmingly a few days ago for the case to go ahead.

Despite the vote, unprecedented in the West African country since independence from France in 1960, the two had been free until today.

But a magistrate working on the case, who declined to be named, said Ary Ibrahim was now in custody in Kollo, 25 km (15 miles) southeast of the capital, Niamey, while Hamani Harouna was in prison at Say, around 60 km (40 miles) south of Niamey.

Harouna stands accused of embezzling 320 million CFA francs (8,300) of financing for Niger's 2002-2012 education plan, which is backed by international donors who temporarily suspended funding after an audit showed funds had disappeared.

Harouna is also accused of mishandling the allocation of more than double this amount in public education contracts, of overcharging and fraud.

Ibrahim is accused of embezzling more than 626 million francs between 2002 and 2004.

Both have denied the accusations.

The cases have scandalised one of the world's poorest countries, where an estimated 3.6 million people ran short of food last year, shocking TV viewers abroad with images of wasted bodies and prompting an international food aid effort.

REUTERS DKB KN2345