The former president of Mauritania, Ould Abdel Aziz, accused of having abused his power to amass a vast fortune, is on trial from Wednesday.
Mr. Aziz, who led the country from 2008 to 2019, becomes one of the few former heads of state to answer for illicit enrichment.
Mr. Aziz is said to have built up an estimated wealth of 67 million euros by the time he was charged in March 2021. He is accused of corruption and embezzlement of funds from public contracts.
One of his lawyers denies the charges against him, invoking his constitutional immunity.
Mr. Aziz was involved in a coup in 2005 and one in 2008, was elected president in 2009 and was re-elected in 2014. His downfall began in 2019 after he handed over to his former chief of staff Ghazouani.