Ex-chief of Tunisian Presidential Guard arrested

Tunisian police have arrested the head of the presidential guard for ousted leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the state news agency reported today.

The TAP news agency said Ali Seriati and several colleagues were detained on accusations they had plotted against state security. Other details were not immediately available.

Ben Ali fled the country on Friday after 23 years of autocratic rule in Tunisia.

His downfall came after a month of angry street protests over corruption, repression and high unemployment in the North African country.