Former President Ould Abdel Aziz Requests Postponement of Hearing and Sparks Controversy in Court
Former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz requested the postponement of a Court of Appeals hearing, citing personal circumstances, and stated that he had been unable to sleep the previous night. He explained during his appearance before the judge that he was fatigued from extensive speaking over the past days, which affected his ability to concentrate, and he requested a delay for health reasons.
However, the presiding judge rejected the postponement request and insisted on continuing the session. In response, Ould Abdel Aziz once again denied the charges against him. He also refuted statements attributed to him in previous sessions, including his alleged description of Mauritanian doctors as “butchers,” clarifying that his objection was to bringing in “butchers” from abroad to treat him.
Ould Abdel Aziz emphasized that his remarks did not address former presidents but were solely about his own tenure. He highlighted that the resolution of Kuwait’s debt crisis occurred during his presidency, with the agreement signed by the then-Minister of Finance, who is the current Prime Minister.
He accused Khalil Ould Tayyib and a former minister who held the portfolios of health and education of being involved in targeting him for tribal reasons. He also implicated a businessman who benefited from large public contracts without paying taxes, accusing him of bribing former Senate members and intervening in the case.
Additionally, he mentioned another intermediary with connections to terrorist groups who incited them to carry out an operation in the city of Néma and was also among those involved in targeting him.
The courtroom witnessed significant uproar following the former president’s statements, especially after his defense team announced their withdrawal. Ultimately, the judge granted the request to postpone the hearing to the following Monday and proceeded with the session by hearing from former Prime Minister Yahya Ould Hademine.
