The Court of Appeal in Ouarzazate issued a new ruling on Wednesday in the case of the “Tensift swindler,” sentencing him to two years in prison and a fine of 5,000 dirhams. This decision overturned the initial ruling from the Tensift primary court, which had sparked controversy due to its reliance on an alternative sentence.
The primary court had previously convicted the defendant to a prison sentence, substituting it with a financial fine amounting to 36 million centimes, equivalent to 500 dirhams per day of the prison sentence. However, the public prosecutor appealed the decision, arguing that it lacked legal basis in the absence of a settlement or waiver from the victims. The case details involve accusations of the defendant defrauding dozens of citizens seeking employment contracts and immigration after receiving sums of money ranging from 5 to 15 million centimes. The new ruling from the Court of Appeal puts an end to the debate surrounding the application of alternative penalties in fraud cases and reopens the legal discussion on the conditions for their application and their suitability for protecting victims’ rights.
