Jailed Plastic Surgeon Dr. Hassan Tazi May Be Released as Evidence Weakens

It emerges from the hearing by the Criminal Chamber of the head of the billing department of the clinic, also prosecuted in this case, but at liberty, that the billings of certain identified surgical operations had not been falsified. Nor is there any evidence that Dr. Hassan Tazi and his possible accomplices overcharged cosmetic surgery procedures, following aid granted to economically vulnerable people, reports the Arabic daily Al Akhbar. According to the explanations of the doctor’s defense committee, the pricing of medical acts is established according to the directives of the National Agency for Medical Coverage.

A certain number of reports, considered null and void, will not be taken into consideration during the trial, says one of the defendant’s lawyers, which implies a lightening of the charges against Dr. Hassan Tazi. Dr. Tazi’s defense committee, as well as the other persons prosecuted in this case, now hope that the Court of Appeal of Casablanca will pronounce a judgment in their favor, on Tuesday, September 26.

Dr. Tazi, his brother, his wife and five other people are separately accused of human trafficking, exploitation of the vulnerability of people for commercial purposes, fraud against benefactors acting in good faith, falsification of treatment invoices and medical records, exploitation of minors suffering from chronic illness, forgery and use of forgery and the constitution of a criminal gang. The criminal chamber of the court of first instance of the court of appeal in Casablanca had rejected on April 13 their request for provisional release.