DUBAI: Mauritania’s parliament is investigating its former president’s gifting of an island to former Qatari Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, pan-Arab daily Asharq Al-Awsat reported.
The case is part of the corruption files which reportedly involve President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who survived a shooting in October 2012, the report said on Tuesday.
The island is located on a coastal basin in the Atlantic Ocean and is home to millions of migratory birds and rare species of fish.
The committee, formed by the Mauritanian parliament, investigated several infrastructure deals and heard testimonies of ministers who worked with the former president. The investigation included the gifting of the island to Qatar’s Al-Thani.
Mauritanian media leaked documents showing communications between Qatar’s embassy in Nouakchott with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, discussing the “beautiful Mauritanian island” received from Abdel Aziz.
Amid the investigations, the Mauritania’s parliament was also seeking to make amendments to the law which will allow the High Court of Justice to prosecute high-ranking officials.
Mauritania investigates gifting of island to former Qatari Emir
https://arab.news/9gxwh
Mauritania investigates gifting of island to former Qatari Emir
- The island is home to millions of migratory birds and rare species of fish
- Mauritanian media leaked documents showing communications between Qatar’s embassy in Nouakchott with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar
Syrian government foils Daesh plot to attack churches and New Year celebrations
- Bomber kills soldier in Aleppo, detonates explosives injuring 2 others
ALEPPO, DAMASCUS: The Syrian Interior Ministry announced on Thursday that it had thwarted a Daesh plot to carry out suicide attacks targeting New Year celebrations and churches, particularly in Aleppo.
The ministry said in a statement that, as part of ongoing counterterrorism efforts and careful monitoring of Daesh cells in cooperation with partner agencies, it had received intelligence indicating plans for suicide attacks targeting New Year celebrations in several provinces, particularly Aleppo, with a focus on churches and civilian gathering areas.
The ministry added that it took preemptive measures, including reinforcing security around churches, deploying mobile and fixed patrols, and setting up checkpoints across the city.
During operations at a checkpoint in Aleppo’s Bab Al-Faraj district, security forces intercepted a suspected Daesh member who opened fire. One internal security soldier was killed, and the attacker detonated explosives, injuring two others.
Daesh recently increased its attacks in Syria, and was blamed for an attack last month in Palmyra that killed three Americans.
On Dec. 13, two US soldiers and an American civilian were killed in an attack Washington blamed on a lone Daesh gunman in Palmyra.
In retaliation, American forces struck scores of Daesh targets in Syria.
Syrian authorities have also carried out several operations against Daesh since then, saying on Dec. 25 they had killed a senior leader of the group.
