Moroccan, 80, acquitted over €15,000 in benefits received during trips home
An 80-year-old Moroccan man living in Italy was prosecuted for receiving nearly 15,000 euros in social benefits while staying in Morocco. Medical documents weighed heavily in the case. The verdict is in: he was acquitted.
He spent several months a year in Morocco while continuing to receive an Italian benefit. These trips placed an 80-year-old Moroccan man living in Altopolesine, in Veneto, at the center of a trial over the improper receipt of public funds.
The Italian daily La Voce di Rovigo reported on Thursday, October 22, that the disputed payments totaled just under 15,000 euros. The man received the assegno sociale, a benefit for older people with low incomes.
The case stemmed from his extended absences from Italy. The INPS, the social security agency, requires recipients to be effectively resident in Italy to receive this benefit. His trips to Morocco therefore led to the 80-year-old appearing in court.
Medical documents turn the tide in the trial
To defend the retiree, his lawyer presented medical records confirming consultations in Morocco. According to accounts of the case, these documents played an important role in the outcome of the proceedings.
The court ultimately acquitted the Moroccan man. At 80, he thus avoided a criminal conviction in a case involving nearly 15,000 euros in social benefits.
The case concerns an assistance benefit, distinct from retirement pensions calculated on the basis of employment contributions. It is reserved for people aged 67 or older who meet income and residency criteria.
Italian regulations set a particularly strict limit on travel abroad. Under the official INPS rules, a stay exceeding 29 consecutive days normally results in the benefit being suspended, effective from the date the recipient leaves Italy. After one year of suspension, the benefit is revoked.
