At his first press conference on Thursday, the former Mauritanian president, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, announced his refusal to go into exile, under investigation for corruption.

The former head of state spoke for three hours to argue the rejection of the facts that accuse him. He stated during this conference that "when we accuse someone, we must do our utmost to incriminate him through intoxication, through sites that we use, through the national press, the foreign press. The objective is to incriminate me. "Then he added: "All material and human means have been used to target me arbitrarily. The only reason for this is to prevent me from doing politics. "

Regarding his refusal on exile, he attested by saying that "I will not leave, neither in Senegal, nor in Mali, nor in Morocco, nor in Algeria, nor in any other country and nor in France. "However, no verdict has yet been reached, and the option for incarceration has been ruled out. The judge has just opted for a hardened house arrest.

As a reminder of events, on Thursday, March 11, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz and a number of senior figures, including one of his sons-in-law, two former prime ministers, and several former ministers and businessmen, were charged in a corruption investigation and placed under judicial supervision by an investigating judge in Nouakchott. He must report to the police three times a week and seek the judge's permission to leave the capital.

In his defense, Mr. Aziz says he is the victim of a demonization campaign and intends to prove his innocence when the current investigation leads to a trial before the competent courts. He assured that "when the time comes, before the judge, I will defend myself and make revelations. "

Ravaka Ny Aina

©Picture Source: DW

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