DAMASCUS: Syrian authorities have arrested a former military officer and three other individuals accused of crimes committed during the rule of former president Bashar Assad, as part of an expanding campaign against remnants of the deposed regime, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported.
The Interior Ministry said security forces arrested retired Brig. Gen. Abdul Ghaffar Al-Hussein following surveillance of his movements.
According to the ministry, preliminary investigations indicate that Al-Hussein was involved in violations during his command of the 66th Regiment and while overseeing a security checkpoint in Daraa province, where hundreds of residents were detained.
Authorities also accuse him of participating in military operations in several areas and of involvement in cases that led to the arrest and forced disappearance of civilians.
The ministry said investigations showed that after retiring in 2015, Al-Hussein allegedly became involved in corruption networks and the embezzlement of public funds through connections within administrative and service sectors.
