A major corruption case has begun unfolding in eastern Morocco. The investigating judge at the Court of Appeal in Fes, handling financial crimes, has ordered the prosecution of the mayor of the Ain Beni Mathar municipality in Jerada province, along with a contractor and two municipal employees. The charges include bribery, forgery, embezzlement of public funds, and conflict of interest.
According to exclusive information obtained by Heba Press, the mayor, a member of the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), is in pre-trial detention at the Bourkaiz prison. Preliminary investigations revealed serious irregularities in public contracts and projects overseen by the municipality, with strong indications of a lack of transparency in management. The case, which also involves a contractor and a male and female municipal employee, emerged from an investigation led by the specialized public prosecutor’s office, exposing patronage and mutual benefit in projects intended to serve the population but which, according to the information, were used to embezzle public funds. The first hearing is scheduled for September 30th, and is expected to reveal even more serious information regarding the municipality’s financial and administrative management. This new scandal adds to a series of corruption cases currently before Moroccan courts, highlighting the issue of transparency and integrity in local governance, particularly in light of the increasing number of citizen complaints about mismanagement and embezzlement of public funds.
