Corruption Scandal Rocks Moroccan Courts: Judges, Officials, and ’Samsaras’ Implicated in Massive Influence-Peddling Network

As part of this case that broke out in mid-June within the jurisdictions of Casablanca, Safi, Sidi Bennour and El Jadida, the investigating judge heard 25 accused, recognized as intermediaries (Samsaras), and ordered the provisional detention of 10 of them in the prisons of Casablanca, Safi and El Jadida, for "serious" offenses, reports Al Akhbar. Seven of the accused were released under judicial supervision and the rest were referred to the public prosecutor’s offices of several cities for related offenses.

These suspects are notably accused of forming a criminal gang, corruption, intermediation with public officials, trafficking in judicial decisions and falsification of prison sentences. Justice officials are said to be involved in this case. The investigating judge has postponed their hearing, pending further investigation and, above all, the analysis of their mobile phones. They will be heard in due course by the investigators of the National Brigade of the Judicial Police (BNPJ), in coordination with the President of the Higher Council of the Judiciary (CSPJ) and the Presidency of the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

The names of officials from the National Security and the Royal Gendarmerie, as well as 17 magistrates (prosecutors and judges) are also mentioned in this file. The searches and analysis of their phones have revealed the existence of suspicious links between these intermediaries, civil servants and judges, in order to influence judicial decisions within the Courts of Appeal of Casablanca, Safi, Marrakech and El Jadida.