By Abdoulaye Massalatchi
NIAMEY, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Mahamadou Issoufou, a leading opposition figure in Niger, returned home on Friday from a trip abroad and said he was ready to face charges of money laundering, a day after a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Issoufou is one of dozens of former parliamentarians caught up in a graft investigation that critics say is a bid to muzzle opponents of President Mamadou Tandja's moves to tighten his grip on the West African nation, a major uranium producer.
'The fact that I have returned means something very simple. I have nothing to run away from,' Issoufou told reporters on his return to Niger from Abuja, Nigeria, where he was in talks with West African bloc ECOWAS, which is seeking to end the crisis.
Security officials made no effort to detain Issoufou.
'I heard that they issued an international arrest warrant for me. The powers that be didn't have to go to that length. They could have simply called me to face a judge and I would have turned up,' he added.
Several thousand supporters of Issoufou's Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS) turned up at Niamey airport to welcome him and accompanied him home.
The case against Issoufou is the latest twist in a political crisis that has seen Tandja extend his time as president, increase his powers and remove term presidential limits. The row has deeply divided the impoverished desert state and drawn sharp criticism from donors and regional organisations.
MONEY LAUNDERING CHARGES
A senior legal source told Reuters earlier on Friday that investigations had found 'numerous transactions' of large amounts of money 'from dubious origins' through Issoufou's accounts, leading to the charges of money laundering.
Niger authorities say the investigation is aimed at rooting out corruption, but Issoufou's deputy said the charges were politically motivated.
'You know, dictatorial regimes don't like the idea of an opposition existing. They don't like the idea of them so they criminalise them and accuse them of terrible things like money laundering,' said PNDS vice president Bazoum Mohamed.
'Issoufou would never take part in shameful practice.'
The PNDS and the CDS party, both previously Tandja allies, earlier this month boycotted an election to replace parliament after Tandja dissolved it in the run-up to an August referendum boosting his powers.
ECOWAS subsequently suspended Niger's membership from the West African bloc and the country is also facing a possible freeze in European Union development aid.
Analysts have questioned the impact of sanctions when the government has already proved it can lure billions of dollars of foreign investment into its uranium mining and oil sectors.
The government has shrugged off criticism that it is undermining democracy and Tandja says he needs broad powers to oversee multi-billion-dollar mining and other contracts.
These include the completion of a 1.2 billion euro uranium mine with French mining giant Areva and a $5 billion Chinese oil project.
(Writing by David Lewis; Editing by Elizabeth Fullerton) (For more Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: http://af.reuters.com) Keywords: NIGER POLITICS/OPPOSITION (Dakar Newsroom +221 33 8645076) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
NIAMEY, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Mahamadou Issoufou, a leading opposition figure in Niger, returned home on Friday from a trip abroad and said he was ready to face charges of money laundering, a day after a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Issoufou is one of dozens of former parliamentarians caught up in a graft investigation that critics say is a bid to muzzle opponents of President Mamadou Tandja's moves to tighten his grip on the West African nation, a major uranium producer.
'The fact that I have returned means something very simple. I have nothing to run away from,' Issoufou told reporters on his return to Niger from Abuja, Nigeria, where he was in talks with West African bloc ECOWAS, which is seeking to end the crisis.
Security officials made no effort to detain Issoufou.
'I heard that they issued an international arrest warrant for me. The powers that be didn't have to go to that length. They could have simply called me to face a judge and I would have turned up,' he added.
Several thousand supporters of Issoufou's Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS) turned up at Niamey airport to welcome him and accompanied him home.
The case against Issoufou is the latest twist in a political crisis that has seen Tandja extend his time as president, increase his powers and remove term presidential limits. The row has deeply divided the impoverished desert state and drawn sharp criticism from donors and regional organisations.
MONEY LAUNDERING CHARGES
A senior legal source told Reuters earlier on Friday that investigations had found 'numerous transactions' of large amounts of money 'from dubious origins' through Issoufou's accounts, leading to the charges of money laundering.
Niger authorities say the investigation is aimed at rooting out corruption, but Issoufou's deputy said the charges were politically motivated.
'You know, dictatorial regimes don't like the idea of an opposition existing. They don't like the idea of them so they criminalise them and accuse them of terrible things like money laundering,' said PNDS vice president Bazoum Mohamed.
'Issoufou would never take part in shameful practice.'
The PNDS and the CDS party, both previously Tandja allies, earlier this month boycotted an election to replace parliament after Tandja dissolved it in the run-up to an August referendum boosting his powers.
ECOWAS subsequently suspended Niger's membership from the West African bloc and the country is also facing a possible freeze in European Union development aid.
Analysts have questioned the impact of sanctions when the government has already proved it can lure billions of dollars of foreign investment into its uranium mining and oil sectors.
The government has shrugged off criticism that it is undermining democracy and Tandja says he needs broad powers to oversee multi-billion-dollar mining and other contracts.
These include the completion of a 1.2 billion euro uranium mine with French mining giant Areva and a $5 billion Chinese oil project.
(Writing by David Lewis; Editing by Elizabeth Fullerton) (For more Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: http://af.reuters.com) Keywords: NIGER POLITICS/OPPOSITION (Dakar Newsroom +221 33 8645076) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.