HIBAPRESS – A. Mahyawi
The situation of the central market in the Ain Chkaff municipality has raised a wave of questions in local circles, after the circulation of data indicating that this building was constructed and used without an approved design or a legal certificate of conformity, despite its handover and the commencement of its activity by vegetable sellers.
According to consistent sources, the aforementioned market has been operating for a while in the absence of administrative and technical documents stipulated by the current urban planning law, which raises questions about the circumstances of its completion, the responsibility of the authorities that supervised its construction and handover, and the extent to which the legal procedures in place for such projects were respected. The controversy intensifies in view of the potential consequences of this situation on health and structural safety, as well as the rights of professionals who practice their activity within this facility, without legal clarity to protect them in the event of any emergency. In light of these data, local affairs observers are wondering whether the governor of Moulay Yacoub province will intervene to open an administrative and technical investigation into the matter, with the aim of determining responsibilities and arranging the legal effects, especially since the regional authorities remain the guardian of respect for the laws and regulations related to urban planning and the management of public facilities. Local actors also demand an official clarification from the concerned territorial community, explaining to the public the legal status of the market, the procedures that were adopted in its completion and handover, while revealing the expected measures to correct the situation in the event of any imbalances. In the same context, followers raise questions about whether the regional authorities will move to refer the file of this project to the money crimes division at the Court of Appeal in Fez, in order to subject it to a thorough judicial audit, especially in the event of suspicion of financial or administrative violations related to the completion and handover of the market. Interested parties believe that the governor's recourse to this path, if sufficient data is available, would contribute to determining legal responsibilities and revealing the parties potentially involved in any imbalances, within the framework of activating the principle of linking responsibility to accountability, without prejudice to the presumption of innocence guaranteed by law. Public opinion in the local area remains awaiting the outcome of the interventions of the competent authorities, with a view to ensuring respect for the law, protecting public money, and securing decent and legal work spaces for merchants and professionals.
