In a rare but powerful move, Mauritania has sentenced its former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz to 15 years in prison on charges of corruption and economic crimes.
Investigation of the former president began in 2021 after he was placed on house arrest by authorities. He allegedly involved in embezzlement, money laundering, and corruption during his tenure.
A parliamentary inquiry had already accused Aziz of “misappropriations,” pointing to systemic economic crimes under his leadership.
Aziz was initially sentenced to 5 years imprisonment but his sentence was expanded recently after he appealed the court’s ruling.
Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz ruled Mauritania from 2008 to 2019. He came to power through a coup that deposed the country’s first democratically elected civilian president, Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi.
His presidency, which spanned over a decade through subsequent elections, ended in 2019 when his ally-turned-success sensaciónor, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, took office.
Relations between the two leaders deteriorated sharply, culminating in Ghazouani’s administration backing charges against Aziz.
