Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, 65, was transferred to the hospital at the end of December to receive urgent care, according to his lawyers at the time. On January 1, he underwent a successful heart operation to expand blood vessels and enhance blood circulation, according to the hospital.
In a statement on Friday, the ministry said that the doctors who followed him called in a report to enable him to lead a “quiet and monotonous lifestyle free from causes of anxiety and psychological stress,” according to the Mauritanian News Agency. Accordingly, the ministry added that the prosecution called for “the temporary release of the accused, due to his current health conditions, while placing him under judicial and medical supervision.”
She emphasized that Ould Abdel Aziz, who presided over Mauritania between 2008 and 2019, had benefited from good conditions of detention, a “rapid and effective” response, and “high-level medical care.”
Charges were brought against the former head of state in March 2021
Corruption, money laundering, illicit enrichment, waste of public property, granting undue benefits, and obstruction of justice.
He was detained in June for failing to comply with judicial oversight procedures and for disturbing public order.
In August 2020, the judiciary received the report of a parliamentary investigation committee tasked with shedding light on corruption practices and alleged embezzlement of public funds during more than ten years of Ould Abdel Aziz’s rule.
The committee considered several issues, the most important of which were the management of oil revenues, the sale of state real estate, the liquidation of a public company that was charged with supplying the country with foodstuffs, and the activities of a Chinese fishing company.
The former president refused to cooperate with the investigative judge, considering that he was a victim of “settlement of accounts”, and his actions were protected by the immunity granted to him by the constitution upon assuming office.
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