On April 10th, 2023, during the trial of Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, a former general claimed to have received an order from the former Mauritanian president (2009-2019) to cede part of the police academy compound. of Nouakchott with a view to its transformation into a shopping center. “The testimonies of those who marched had no legal interest,” retorted one of the lawyers for the former head of state who is on trial for alleged corruption, embezzlement of public property, and money laundering.
The trial of the former Mauritanian president resumed on April 10th, 2023, in Nouakchott. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz has been appearing since January 25th, 2023, before a criminal court for alleged acts of corruption, embezzlement of public property, and money laundering. Facts he has always denied. But the court heard several witnesses on Monday, including a retired general and former director general of the police, who renewed charges against the former head of state.
Before the court, former General Ould Beckrime thus claims to have received the order from Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz to cede part of the grounds of the Nouakchott police academy with a view to its transformation into a shopping center.
The continuation of the trial suspended until the end of Ramadan
In recent news, there have been accusations of a sell-off of public property in Mauritania. According to Maître Lo Gourmo, who is representing the Mauritanian state, the former head of state has been accused of seizing public property and using it for private business through dubious transactions. This has caused a stir in the legal world and raised concerns about the interventionism of the former leader.
However, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz’s lawyers, including Maître Ciré Clédor Ly, have criticized the court’s methods in the case. They argue that without a proper adversarial debate, the depositions of witnesses hold no meaning or value. They also claim that the testimonies of those who have been paraded have no legal interest.