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A judge in the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott on Thursday indicted former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz and a dozen other personalities with corruption, following an investigation into his ten-year reign.
The move marks the latest stage in the downfall of Aziz, a former general who seized power in the Saharan state in 2008, which began when investigators began probing his financial affairs last year.
Following a request from the public prosecutor, the judge also placed Aziz, one of his sons-in-law, two former prime ministers, five former government ministers and four businessmen under judicial control, according to a source familiar with the matter. .
Mohameden Ould Icheddou, one of Aziz’s lawyers, confirmed the information to AFP. He added that his client refused to answer the judge’s questions, citing constitutional immunity.
Aziz, 64, launched a military coup in 2008 and served two terms as president before being replaced in August 2019 by Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, his former right-hand man and former defense minister.
However, Ghazouani has kept Aziz at bay since coming to power.
Last year, the Mauritanian parliament created a commission to investigate suspicions of embezzlement under Aziz.
Among other issues, the investigation focused on the management of oil revenues, the sale of state property, the liquidation of a state-owned food distribution company and the activities of a Chinese fishing company.
Police then detained Aziz in August for questioning about the case, before removing his passport.
The former president also declined to answer questions.
“I am the victim of a settling of old scores, but I will defend myself,” Aziz said after his release from detention in August.
After months of investigation, Aziz was summoned to a hearing on Wednesday with the public prosecutor, who interviewed around 30 people allegedly involved before deciding to seek charges for around 10 people.
Defense attorneys for Aziz have said the case is “to drag an entire system and its men before the police and smear their honor.”
Prosecutor Ahmedou Ould Abdallahi said he did not ask the judge to take Aziz into custody because the trial against him would likely be long.
Abdallahi added that cash and assets – including businesses, apartments and vehicles – worth the equivalent of around 96 million euros ($ 115 million) had already been seized as part of the investigation. .
Of this, the equivalent of around 67 million euros ($ 80 million) belonged to one of the suspects, whom the prosecutor did not name.
‘High treason’
Aziz had already ignored a call to testify before the parliamentary inquiry into his alleged corruption in early July.
But Mauritanian deputies quickly approved a law establishing a High Court of Justice which would be empowered to try presidents and ministers in cases of “high treason”.
However, Aziz’s legal team insists the constitution protects the former president from prosecution.
In August, the parliamentary inquiry formally submitted its report on the former general’s affairs to the prosecution.
The move prompted a government reshuffle in Mauritania, with Ghazouani replacing four ministers whose names had surfaced in the investigation.
In December, Aziz also lost the leadership of the party he founded, the Union for the Republic.
A source close to the prosecution, who declined to be named, said the list of charges against Aziz was long, including money laundering, embezzlement and obstruction of justice.
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