Dakar, Jan 19 (IANS): Over $98 million (48 billion CFA Francs) have been found in the bank accounts and companies of a former Senegalese senator and businesswoman.

According to public prosecutor Serigne Bassirou Gueye, the money was discovered in the accounts of ex-senator Aida Ndiongue.

"The provisional estimate of property found and belonging to Ndiongue is 47.675 billion CFA Francs," Xinhua quoted Gueye as saying in a press conference Friday.

A part of the money was swindled from the government's programme to construct housing units and fight against floods in slum areas in the capital Dakar during the reign of ex- president Abodulaye Wade, the prosecutor said.

It was also suspected that the former senator could have taken part of the money from the government's project to construct and rehabilitate public buildings.

Ndiongue, who was arrested Dec 17 the charges of corruption, is currently detained in Dakar.

She served as a senator on the ticket of the Democratic Party of Senegal (PDS), which was in power between 2000 to 2012.