The Court of Appeal in Nouakchott has sentenced former Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz to 15 years in prison, finding him guilty of abuse of power, illicit enrichment, and money laundering.
This ruling significantly increases the previous five-year prison sentence handed down in December 2023. The conviction follows accusations of embezzlement of public funds, influence peddling, and misuse of authority during his 11-year presidency from 2008 to 2019.
Judicial sources indicate that Ould Abdel Aziz accumulated tens of millions of dollars through an intricate network of shell companies and offshore bank accounts, linked to real estate and commercial transactions.
The verdict concludes an appeal trial that commenced in November 2024 and ended in late April 2025. Prosecutors had sought a 20-year sentence, arguing that the former president personally enriched himself at the expense of the public treasury.
Ould Abdel Aziz, who has been detained since January 2023, was tried alongside approximately a dozen high-ranking officials, including two former prime ministers, who faced similar charges.
AC/lb/abj/APA