Ex-Mauritanian President Sentenced To Five Years Imprisonment For Corruption
A Nouakchott court sentenced Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, the former president of Mauritius, to five years in prison on Monday.
The claims against him included misusing his position to amass an illegal wealth.
Aziz, who led the country for ten years, from 2009 to 2019, has been on trial since January with ten other well-known individuals, including two past prime ministers, on allegations of money laundering, influence-peddling, illicit enrichment, and misuse of office.
Aziz was cleared of other charges while convicted of illicit enrichment and money laundering. The court also ordered the confiscation of assets acquired through illicit means.
The 66-year-old former president, who has been in detention since January 24, had previously spent several months in prison in 2021.
Meanwhile, the trial, initiated in January, involved a Mauritanian prosecutor seeking a 20-year prison sentence for Aziz, alleging abuse of power and amassing substantial wealth.
Aziz maintained his innocence and argued that the trial was politically motivated and should be dismissed.
The prosecutor’s closing arguments, which lasted about three hours, sought sentences of 10 years in prison for the two former prime ministers and two ministers, along with the confiscation of their assets. For the remaining defendants, the prosecutor requested a five-year prison term.