(3 Minutes Read)
Prosecutors in Mauritania have asked an appeals court to sentence former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz to 20 years in prison for abuse of office. Aziz is currently appealing a five-year sentence received in 2023 after he was convicted of using his position to amass a fortune while in power from 2008 to 2019. Prosecutors want the appeals court to increase the original jail term instead.
The lead prosecutor, Sidi Mohamed Ould Di Ould Moulay, told the court in Nouakchott that the former leader had transformed the presidency into an office for blackmailing investors. Aziz is alleged to have accumulated assets and capital worth USD 70 million during his presidency.
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The prosecutor also asked the court to dissolve the charity Rahma, which he said was founded by Aziz’s son for illicit purposes. The ex-president who has been in custody since his original trial began in January 2023, was appearing alongside several former top officials and advisers. Aziz denies the charges against him.
