Casablanca Municipal Presidents Face Suspension Over Eid Livestock Scandal

– byBetty de G. · 2 min read
Casablanca Municipal Presidents Face Suspension Over Eid Livestock Scandal

As Eid al-Adha approaches, the Interior Ministry is investigating serious misconduct. Local officials near Casablanca are suspected of rigging livestock market rentals to enrich themselves in the shadows.

The scandal is tarnishing several municipalities around the Casablanca metropolis. According to detailed reports submitted to the General Directorate of Territorial Collectivities, municipal presidents allocated sheep sales spaces in a completely illegal manner. These plots were rented under the table to influential intermediaries and speculators, the notorious "chennaqa". To circumvent transparency rules and public procurement laws, some officials did not hesitate to falsify administrative documents, describing these livestock fairs as simple "exhibitions" or "temporary spaces".

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At the heart of this affair lies an opaque financial scheme akin to illicit subletting. Al3omk reveals a glaring discrepancy between the actual revenues generated by these markets and the paltry sums recorded in official registers. Intermediaries pay enormous amounts behind the scenes, while municipal coffers receive only crumbs. This diversion of public funds was allegedly facilitated by the direct complicity of local officials and elected representatives, accused of validating false data and turning a blind eye to these practices.

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Faced with the scale of embezzlement, central authorities are stepping up the pace. The ministry now demands detailed reports from prefectures, particularly targeting municipalities already flagged in the past. In-depth administrative and financial audits will be launched to scrutinize rental contracts and trace missing money. This offensive is causing genuine panic among the implicated officials, who fear heavy criminal and administrative sanctions for their covert management.