HIBAPRESS – Fez
The Criminal Chamber of Appeal specializing in financial crimes at the Court of Appeal in Fez, on the evening of Wednesday, March 25, 2026, upheld the initial judgments issued in the file of financial and administrative irregularities that marred the management of the Bab Al-Khokha charity.
The appeals court's decision stipulated the affirmation of custodial sentences against the main defendants in the case, including a former parliamentarian and a lawyer in the Fez bar association, in addition to upholding the civil provisions related to compensation for damages. The court also decided to oblige one of the convicted to pay financial compensation of 500,000 dirhams, while the second defendant was sentenced to pay compensation of 200,000 dirhams for the benefit of the affected parties, within the framework of repairing the damage resulting from these irregularities. In contrast, the judicial body upheld the acquittal of one of the users from the charges against her. This file was triggered on the background of the prosecution of the accused on charges of embezzlement and squandering of funds allocated for social purposes, in addition to the exploitation of influence and forgery in official documents and their use, during the period of their supervision of the association supervising the charitable institution. The investigations revealed the existence of financial and administrative violations that concerned the management of the institution's resources, which is concerned with serving vulnerable groups, which sparked widespread controversy at the local level, given the humanitarian and social character of this facility. The followers in this file had appeared before the judiciary on bail in exchange for financial guarantees, before the judicial procedure led to the confirmation of their conviction at the initial stage, which was upheld on appeal. The file is expected to be presented to the Court of Cassation, within the framework of completing the stages of litigation, while observers believe that this decision reflects the judiciary's strictness in confronting financial corruption crimes, especially those that affect institutions with a social dimension, with emphasis on the principle of linking responsibility to accountability and protecting the rights of beneficiaries.
