Ghana former finance minister arrested

The authorities in Ghana have arrested the country's former deputy finance minister, Victor Selormey, for suspected illegal transactions last year involving nearly two-and-a-half-million dollars.

Mr Selormey was detained at Ghana's main airport outside Accra on his return from a private trip to Europe.

One alleged transaction involves a transfer of money from an export bank to a company which is alleged not to have existed.

A former trade and industry minister, Dan Abodakpiand, and two officials from the former administration have already been questioned earlier this month.

The new government in Ghana has pledged to deal firmly with corruption.

Opposition party officials have condemned the arrest as a vindinctive act.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service