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2w ago

Mauritania’s Ex-President Aziz Receives 15-Year Sentence in Corruption Appeal

The appeals court also imposed a $3 million fine, upheld asset seizures, and stripped him of civic rights, marking a rare case of judicial accountability for a former African leader.

Mauritania's President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz attends the closing session ofÊSudan's National Dialogue at the Friendship Hall in Khartoum, Sudan, October 10, 2016. REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/File Photo
FILE - In this Jan. 20, 2019, file photo, Mauritania's President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, center, attends the Arab Economic and Social Development Summit, in Beirut, Lebanon. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein, File)
Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz led Mauritania for more than a decade

Overview

  • An appeals court increased Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz's prison sentence from five to 15 years for abuse of office and illicit enrichment.
  • The court upheld the confiscation of Aziz's estimated $70 million fortune and revoked his civic rights as part of the corruption ruling.
  • Aziz's son-in-law was sentenced to two years for influence peddling, while six senior officials from his administration were acquitted.
  • The court ordered the dissolution of Aziz's family-led Errahma Foundation and the seizure of its assets.
  • Aziz’s defense plans to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court, while the state prepares to enforce the ruling.