Justice: Daniel Ziouziou, the banker who siphoned off his clients’ accounts, is sentenced

The Chamber of Financial Crimes struck hard on Monday. The former bank executive and his subordinate will each serve a sentence of twelve years in prison. The criminal penalty is accompanied by an overwhelming civil component: the two convicts must jointly pay 320 million dirhams to the Moroccan Union of Banks to compensate for the damage, in addition to a fine of 100,000 dirhams.

Daniel Ziouziou, who also held the position of vice-president of the municipal council of Tetouan, faced serious charges. The justice system found him guilty of misappropriation of funds, falsification of banking documents, and interference with automated data processing systems. The investigation established the active participation of the agency employee, who carried out the fraudulent transactions and covered up the internal files.

The case reveals a well-established mechanism of financial predation over several years. The investigations of the National Brigade of the Judicial Police (BNPJ), triggered in 2024 after the detection of suspicious movements, have shown how the funds were siphoned off without immediately drawing the bank’s attention. The victims of this massive fraud include public institutions, professional organizations, and individuals whose assets have been diverted through computer manipulations.