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Arrests made after funds embezzled from Mauritania Central Bank 

July 6, 2020 at 4:03 pm

A photo taken on March 31, 2019 in Nouakchott shows the Central Bank of Mauritania. [CARMEN ABD ALI/AFP via Getty Images]

The Public Prosecution of the Nouakchott Court has announced the arrest of several suspects alleged to be involved in the embezzlement of $2 million of foreign exchange reserves from the Mauritania Central Bank. The prosecutors acted after receiving an official complaint from the bank on Friday.

Those arrested during the investigation led by the Anti-Corruption Crime Agency include bank employees and the treasurer of the currency exchange operations, reports the Mauritanian News Agency.

A statement issued by the prosecution yesterday said that it is working to take all necessary seize and freeze procedures to recover the funds.

Back in 2009, the director of the National Bank of Mauritania, the owner of the Islamic Bank of Mauritania and an entrepreneur were arrested after being accused of embezzling millions of euros of public funds from the Central Bank between 2001 and 2002. However, they were all released a month later, after agreeing to repay the money.

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