Kobi Alexander, the founder and former chief executive officer of Comverse Technology Inc. who has been a fugitive since early August, was arrested in Namibia, Africa, today, according to the U.S. Attorney's office in Brooklyn.

Alexander has been on the lam since Aug. 9, when he failed to show up for a court appearance in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn on charges of stock-option manipulation and wire fraud.

"The apprehension of Alexander follows an international manhunt led by the FBI, and the cooperation of the government of the Republic of Namibia," said Roslyn Mauskopf, the U.S. Attorney in Brooklyn, in a statement released by her office this morning.

"We are very grateful for the Namibians' swift action and commend them for their vigilance," Mauskopf said. "We intend promptly to seek the return of the defendant to the United States."

Comverse, a maker of software for voicemail, is headquartered in Manhattan, but has a large facility in Woodbury.

Alexander, 54, resigned from the company in April amid a federal investigation of stock-option manipulation.

Two top Comverse executives, David Kreinberg, the chief financial officer, and William Sorin, a former general counsel, were arraigned in Brooklyn on Aug. 9 and released on $1 million bail each.

They and Alexander were charged in a criminal complaint on July 31 of changing dates on millions of Comverse stock options so they and others at the company could buy shares at low prices. Kreinberg and Sorin have pleaded not guilty.