Former president jailed for 15 years on corruption charges

In a landmark ruling, Mauritania’s former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after being found guilty of corruption and economic crimes.

Authorities began investigating the former leader in 2021, shortly after he was placed under house arrest. He was accused of embezzlement, money laundering, and widespread corruption during his time in office.

A parliamentary inquiry had earlier accused Aziz of massive “misappropriations,” pointing to deep-rooted economic misconduct and abuse of power under his administration.

Initially, Aziz was sentenced to five years in prison, but following his appeal, the court reviewed the case and increased his sentence to fifteen years.

Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz ruled Mauritania from 2008 to 2019. He first seized power through a coup that overthrew the country’s first democratically elected civilian president, Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi.

Aziz went on to legitimize his rule through elections, staying in power for over a decade before stepping down in 2019. His handpicked successor, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, took office that same year.

However, the relationship between the two men quickly soured, with Ghazouani’s government later backing investigations and legal action against Aziz.

The ruling marks a rare instance in Africa where a former head of state has been successfully prosecuted for corruption, signaling Mauritania’s growing efforts to strengthen accountability and the rule of law…CONTINUE MORE READING>>>