HIBAPRESS – Mohammed Zriouh
In an important step towards combating corruption, the Financial Crimes Court in Fez is preparing to hold a new session on Tuesday, March 31st, to consider a corruption case related to a complaint filed by the current president of the Raas El Ma municipality in the Nador region against the former president and his father, the former president of the municipality, in addition to their deputy and a fourth defendant. This file, which has raised many questions, represents a turning point in the path of combating corruption in Moroccan municipalities.
Investigations into the case go back to a complaint submitted by the current president of the municipality more than two years ago, where he accused the former president of the illegal exploitation of power and circumventing the law. The accusations include serious financial violations exceeding 100 million centimes, related to sand quarry projects and real estate projects. The file also included accusations of giving illegal administrative certificates related to non-subdivision, which caused a reduction in the municipality's revenues, and led to a secret division of real estate subdivisions, which raises serious questions about how officials handle public funds and the municipality's resources. What is particularly interesting is the absence of the four defendants from the last session, which forced the court to issue official summons through the defense. Despite expectations of their absence again, some news indicates that the former vice president may be out of the country, which prompted the authorities to issue an arrest warrant against him. This continuous absence multiplies the challenges facing justice in this important case. As for the complaint itself, it includes strong accusations related to obtaining conformity certificates in ways of dubious validity, and concerns housing projects whose work has not yet been completed. At the head of these projects, there are two residential buildings that were delivered even though the work was only completed in its first phase, which raises many questions about the legality of these procedures and the parties that issued these certificates. Finally, it is impossible to ignore the controversial real estate project "rsd bch", which was temporarily delivered since 2015 despite its lack of basic infrastructure such as roads, mosques, and green spaces. This project, which caused significant financial losses to the municipality, highlights the challenges facing municipalities in the field of monitoring development projects. With the upcoming session approaching, legal circles are awaiting the developments that the investigations will reveal, which may reveal more violations in this sensitive case.
