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Former President of Mauritania Mohamed Old Abdel Aziz has been arrested on charges of abuse of power and illegal accumulation of property.
The 66-year-old man was initially told to call police but refused, defense attorneys said.
Police “came to look for him at his home” in the capital Nouakchott with a warrant. According to his lawyer, he was arrested without incident.
A rare indictment of the former African head of state is set to begin Wednesday morning, with Abdel Aziz detained that night.
Several other figures in his previous administration were also arrested on charges of corruption, money laundering and illegal gain, according to security sources.
The former general came to power in a coup and held power for 11 years. He stepped down in 2019 after two presidential terms that put down a jihadist insurgency threatening the conservative West African nation.
He was succeeded by his former right-hand man, Mohammed Old Ghazani, in the first transfer of power between elected leaders in a country’s history marked by military coups and turmoil.
In 2020, a parliamentary inquiry into financial transactions under President Abdel Aziz has been launched.
It delved into oil revenues, the sale of state-owned assets, the dissolution of public companies responsible for food supplies, and the activities of Chinese fishing companies.
Eleven people were subsequently indicted, including Abdel Aziz, one of his son-in-laws, two former prime ministers, several former ministers and businessmen.
The former president is suspected of amassing a fortune worth more than $72 million.
He refuses to answer questions about the source of his wealth, accusing him of political intrigue.
Abdel Aziz said in a memo released by his lawyer on Tuesday that he planned to appear in court “to defend his honor” against “extravagant and false accusations”.
He claims constitutional immunity from prosecution.
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