Former Moroccan Diplomat Sentenced in Barcelona Consulate Embezzlement Case

The Criminal Chamber in charge of financial crimes at the Court of Appeal of Rabat sentenced a civil servant from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who was seconded to the Moroccan Consulate in Barcelona, to two years in prison. It also acquitted an employee in charge of the payment office as well as the head of the passport service. The cashier who would have embezzled the sum of 2.5 million dirhams before fleeing is still untraceable. An international arrest warrant has been issued against him.

The case dates back to 2019. Monitoring operations at the consular level had revealed that the proceeds of certain service benefits were not recorded in the official registers. A complaint had then been filed and an investigation opened. The preliminary investigation had revealed that the cashier would have "omitted" to affix the stamps on the passports concerning 1,070 files worth 675,000 dirhams.

Four former managers of this service involved in this case will be arrested. Three of them were brought before the competent prosecutor’s office by the National Brigade of the Judicial Police (BNPJ): a civil servant seconded to the consulate, another in charge of the payment office, as well as the head of the passport service. After questioning, the prosecutor decided to prosecute them for the embezzlement of public funds. Two of the accused were incarcerated in the El Arjat prison, while the third was prosecuted while on provisional release. The fourth suspect - the cashier - is still on the run.