Mauritanian parliament starts an investigation with former President Mohamed Abdel Aziz
Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz gifted the former Emir of Qatar, Hamad bin Khalifa, an island belonging to his country
Sources close to the parliamentary investigation committee examining the corruption files of the past decade 2009-2019 revealed. According to the “Russia Today” network, that Abdel Aziz received this bank check while receiving a Qatari diplomat at the presidential headquarters in Nouakchott.
Leaked documents showed that former President of Mauritania Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz gifted the former Emir of Qatar, Hamad bin Khalifa, an island belonging to his country, in exchange for a bank check in the amount of 10 million dollars received by him on his own account.
Qatar used Mauritania
Yesterday evening, the National Assembly approved the minutes of the Presidents’ Conference, which included a request from the Parliamentary Inquiry Committee to expand its powers, to include the investigation into the former President Ould Abdel Aziz‘s abdication of Tidra Island.
The Presidents’ Conference discussed the circumstances of the relinquishment of the island. And it referred the request to the Economic Affairs Committee of the National Assembly for discussion this evening. With a request to expand the investigation committee after it had access to information described as this. Dangerous related to the relinquishment of part of the estate and corruption operations carried out in this file.
The leaked documents
This came after the committee obtained the leaked documents. They also reveal a decision taken by former President Ould Abdel Aziz. To grant an island of Mauritania to the former Emir of Qatar, Hamad bin Khalifa.
According to a telegram issued by the parliament. The aim of expanding the powers is to enable the committee to include the “Al Jazeera Gift” file for its final report. Because without expanding its powers it cannot address it in the report.
The committee is also expected to hand over its final report to Parliament within three days. And accordingly the parliament will make a decision to accuse those named in the report, or not to charge any of them.
Parliamentary sources linked the scandal of Hamad bin Khalifa’s acquisition of the deserted Mauritanian island in the Atlantic Ocean. Adjacent to the Arkin basin, the largest natural bird sanctuary in Africa. And a testimony given by a witness before a judicial notary accredited to Parliament and the courts. For a secret meeting that gathered former President Ould Abdel Al-Aziz with the former Qatari ambassador to Mauritania. And also the current one in Senegal, Mohamed Kurdi Al-Murri. To deliver a cash gift from the Qatar Authority.
A source in Parliament also said that the head of the investigation committee. Representative Habib Ould Ijah, distributed to the members of the investigation committee. And the heads of the parliamentary teams a document proving that Ould Abdel Aziz also obtained a check worth 10 million dollars. And that the committee is investigating whether the amount is a “bribe” linked to his assignment of the island.
