Mauritania grants bail to ailing ex-president amid graft probe

Mauritanian authorities have released former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz on bail for medical reasons, the justice ministry said on Friday, amid an investigation into allegations of high-level corruption during his time in office.

Abdel Aziz, 65, who stepped down in 2019 after serving two five-year terms, was moved from house arrest to state custody in June. He has previously denied the corruption allegations.

In late December he was admitted to a hospital in the capital Nouakchott for heart treatment and his family have called for his evacuation abroad.

The justice ministry said the bail decision was based on a doctor’s report that Abdel Aziz needed a stress-free environment and a special diet.

He will remain under judicial and medical supervision, it said in a statement.