Former Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz's accounts frozen

At the request of the police responsible for economic and financial crimes, the Mauritanian financial authorities have frozen some 63 accounts, all opened at several Mauritanian banks and held by officials from the African country, according to government sources quoted by the Mauritanian media, Cridem, for former president Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz.

Mohamed Abdallahi Bellil, president of the Mauritanian Anti-Corruption Observatory, stated in an interview that "the former president deserves the respect of those who have served him during his terms".

Last Monday, the former Mauritanian president returned home after spending a week under arrest, as part of an investigation into suspected corruption. However, his passport was confiscated and he is forbidden to leave Nouakchott, according to the African agency Ecofin. The former leader was released without charge, but 48 hours after his release he was again invited to answer to authorities for economic crimes.

Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz came to power after a military coup in 2008 and ruled the country until 2019, winning two presidential elections, in 2009 and 2014.

After his dismissal, his successor, Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, who was chief of staff and defence minister with Aziz, commissioned a parliamentary committee to shed light on several controversial issues about Aziz's years in office.

This report, which began in January, reached the African country's courts at the beginning of August and contains conclusions relating to the management of oil revenues, the sale of state property in the capital, the liquidation of a public company that ensured the supply of food products or the activities of a Chinese fishing company, according to Ecofin.

At the end of July, Mauritanian MPs passed a law establishing a High Court of Justice to try the head of state and ministers in cases of "high treason". 

Aziz is not the subject of any formal investigation, according to AFP, but he refused to respond to the police since, according to his lawyer, quoted by the news agency, "he is an ex-president and therefore enjoys constitutional immunity".