Mauritania accuses Libya of financing Weld Hedallah coupe

The Mauritanian security officially accused the Libyan intelligence officially of financing an alleged plan to topple the ruling regime in Mauritania. A statement by the judicial police said on Wednesday that the former President Muhammad Khouna Weld Hedallah received from Libya a sum of more 900,000 dollars in two shifts before the elections which took place on November.

The police criticized what it called a campaign of defaming by Weld Hedallah supporters, made to convince the public opinion that the general security was the side which drew the alleged plan to topple the regime.

The criminal court had decided to put the former president of Mauritania and his colleague in reserve imprisonment, while waiting for summoning up witnesses of appeal.

The attorney said that the three witnesses who are expected to be brought before the court stressed they had received from the son of Hedallah a sum of money that "seemed" to have been received from Libya.