Mauritania’s former president jailed for corruption

Mauritania’s former president has been jailed for 15 years and fined three million dollars on charges of corruption. The move may mark a pivotal shift in the country’s political and judicial history.

The ex-president, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, had previously received a five-year sentence in 2023 on similar charges and has since remained in custody, according to AP on May 14.

Aziz has once again been found guilty of money laundering and “illicit self-enrichment.” Investigators have testified that he amassed over 70 million dollars in assets during his decade in office.

Six senior officials from Aziz’s administration were cleared of all charges, however, his son-in-law was sentenced to two years for “influence peddling.” The court also ordered the dissolution of the “Errahma” (Mercy) Foundation led by Aziz’s son and the full seizure of his assets.

The trial has drawn international attention as a rare example of an African head of state receiving due process and being brought to justice. This is especially the case for corruption, which remains rife in the region, yet is too often swept under the rug.

Aziz came to power in 2008 when he led a coup against the democratically elected president, Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi. He then served as president from 2009 to 2019. After completing two terms, he stepped down but was succeeded by his former right-hand man, Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, who had been at his side for the coup and acted successively as his chief of staff and then defense minister.

But relations between the two quickly soured when Aziz tried to take over a major political party after leaving office. In response, a parliamentary commission opened a corruption inquiry against Aziz and 11 others in 2020.

Aziz’s legal team has dismissed the trial as politically motivated, citing flare-ups with Ghazouani and denying evidence that implicates Aziz.

AP/ Maghrebi