Judge orders tighter surveillance of Madoff

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A judge ordered on Friday that disgraced investment adviser Bernard Madoff be detained in his Manhattan apartment 24 hours a day with electronic monitoring "to prevent harm or flight," a modification of his bail conditions.

The order signed by U.S. magistrate judge Theodore Katz in District Court in Manhattan eliminated the earlier night curfew as part of his release on $10 million bail to impose round-the- clock electronic monitoring.

"The defendant will employ a security firm to provide the following services to prevent harm or flight: round-the-clock monitoring at the defendant's building, 24 hours per day, including video monitoring of the defendant's apartment doors," the order said.

Madoff, 70, was arrested on December 11 and accused in a criminal complaint of one count of securities fraud. In the complaint, Madoff is quoted as saying his investment advisory business was a fraud "basically, a giant Ponzi scheme" that may have lost as much as $50 billion.

Friday's court order said the security firm will provide additional guards on request and install communications devices to be able to send a direct signal to the FBI "to prevent harm or flight."

It said "other than for scheduled court appearances, the defendant shall be subject to home detention in his Manhattan apartment, 24 hours per day, with electronic monitoring."

Authorities are investigating Madoff, who may have swindled thousands of investors in a Ponzi scheme, including major charities and investors all over the world.

(Reporting by Grant McCool; Editing by Andre Grenon)