Ecuador's former president detained in graft probe

BUENOS AIRES

Former Ecuadorian President Abdala Bucaram was detained Wednesday after authorities raided his home as part of a corruption investigation over the purchase of medical supplies amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Police found a gun and medical supplies at Bucaram's residence, including 5,000 masks and 2,000 coronavirus test kits.

He was detained for having an unlicensed firearm, according to the public prosecutor’s office.

Bucaram, who took office in August 1996, was ousted in February 1997 over an alleged mental disorder.

He spent two decades in Panama as a political refugee before returning to Ecuador in 2017.

*Writing by Burak Dag