Mauritania: Former President Mohamed Aziz Sentenced to 5 Years for Corruption

Harare — Former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz was sentenced to five years in prison by a Mauritanian court for corruption. reports.

According to reports, Aziz was found not guilty of other allegations, but it did find him guilty of money laundering and misusing his position to unjustly benefit himself. Additionally, the court mandated that his unlawfully obtained assets be seized. After overthrowing President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi in a coup, Aziz, 66, was elected president in 2009 and governed Mauritania until 2019.

He and ten other well-known individuals, including two former prime ministers and former ministers who worked in his administration, had been on trial in the capital, Nouakchott, since January, 2023. They faced many charges pertaining to abuse of power, money laundering, unlawful enrichment, and influence peddling. The previous prime ministers and two former ministers were found not guilty by the court, which specialises in cases involving corruption and economic crimes. On Monday, December 4, several of the co-accused were also convicted, albeit they received lesser terms than Aziz.

Throughout the trial, Aziz insisted on his innocence and called his indictment “politically motivated.” He is alleged to have had a falling out with Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, the current president and a former close political partner.

Aziz’s attorneys have said that they will appeal the judgment.
By Jerry Chifamba