HIBAPRESS – Fez Office
Last Tuesday, the primary financial crimes division of the Court of Appeal in Fez witnessed a heated session during which it issued prison sentences against a number of former and current municipality presidents, along with elected officials and municipal employees, after they were prosecuted in cases related to embezzlement, squandering, forgery, and abuse of power. Others were acquitted, and other files were postponed.
In the first case, the former president of the Midelt municipality, belonging to the Justice and Development Party, was sentenced to one year in prison each, along with four other defendants, including his deputies affiliated with the Authenticity and Modernity Party and the National Rally of Independents, and a fine of 20,000 dirhams in favor of the municipality, against the background of accusations related to "betrayal," "abuse of power," "forgery in official documents," and "delivery of administrative documents without just cause."
In a second case, the court sentenced the current president of the Moulay Yacoub municipality, belonging to the Popular Movement, along with an employee of the municipality, to six months in prison each, after they were prosecuted on charges of "embezzlement," "squandering," and "forgery in customary documents," while the vice president and another employee were acquitted in the same case. The details of this case go back to complaints from the opposition that spoke of the illegal exploitation of the municipality's resources and equipment, including the use of mechanisms and trucks in favor of contractors and filming work, and the demolition of facilities without justification, in addition to suspicions related to the undue benefit from revitalization cards.
On the other hand, the court acquitted MP Mohamed Laaidi, the former president of the Moulay Yacoub municipality from the Istiqlal Party, of charges related to embezzlement, squandering, and forgery, in a new case after he had previously been sentenced to two years in prison, a sentence he was about to finish. Also, a former president of the Sidi Daoud municipality and a number of his deputies were acquitted of similar charges.
In contrast, the court decided to postpone the ruling on the case of Jawad Dawahi, the president of the Moulay Yacoub Regional Council from the National Rally of Independents Party, to enable him to prepare his defense in an upcoming session.
These rulings come in the context of the judiciary's tightening on financial crimes and the promotion of the principles of good governance and integrity in the management of local affairs, especially in light of the increasing complaints related to mismanagement and abuse of power in a number of territorial communities.
