Comverse CEO Nabbed in Namibia

The fugitive former chief executive of voicemail software manufacturer Comverse Technology Inc. was tracked down in Namibia, Africa, this week after spending the past two months on the lamb.   Jacob ''Kobi'' Alexander, 54, was charged in August with conspiracy related to backdating stock options by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Two other defendants, former Comverse finance chief David Kreinberg and former senior general counsel William Sorin, surrendered in August and were each released on $1 million bonds.   Before he disappeared, Alexander allegedly transferred $57 million to Israel, prompting speculation that he may have fled there.   The SEC complaint accuses the trio of men of profiting from stock options by backdating prices to a low point in the stock's value. From 1991 through 2005, Alexander reportedly exercised options and sold stocks worth approximately $150 million, making $138 million profit -- about $6 million by backdating options -- according to the complaint. Kreinberg and Sorin each also earned about $1 million on backdated options.   In addition, the SEC alleges that the company awarded thousands of stock options to fictional employees, then secretly transferred the awards to an internal account. The scheme allowed Alexander to award those options to employees and himself without board of directors approval.