Reports have it that Mauritania’s former President, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, was on Tuesday jailed.
Over a year ago, Parliament had initiated a probe against him regarding the handling of oil revenue, the sale of state property, the winding up of a publicly owned food-supply company and the activities of a Chinese fishing firm.
In March this year, Aziz was accused of money laundering and various charges of which he has appeared twice before the Magistrate investigating the case
Aziz was however jailed days after he refused to continue reporting to police sequel to his being placed under house arrest.
Prior to this time, the Ex-President, had to report to police three times a week and seek approval before leaving the capital.
His Party and Prosecutors say that his incarceration was approved by a Corruption Probe Judge.
Confirming his detention, a Prosecutor and Djibril Ould Bilal who is the spokesman of the former President’s Party did not mention any given reason for it.
Ex-President Aziz, who believes he is being persecuted in a bid to keep him out of politics, has vowed not go into exile
Aziz, a former General aged 64, came to power in a coup d’état and ruled the conservative West African State from 2008 to mid-2019, he was succeeded by, his former right-hand man and ex-Defence minister, Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani.
In April in an attempt to salvage his political career after being expelled from the ruling Union for the Republic (UPR) Party, Aziz, founded the, Ribat National, a small opposition Party to which he belongs,
A State Prosecutor involved with the investigation in March revealed that cash and assets worth the equivalent of about 96 million Euros ($115 million) had been seized.