Moroccan Anti-Corruption Judge Removed from Post Despite Court President’s Support

The anti-corruption judge, Abderrazak Jbari, has become a judge of the Correctional Chamber of the court of first instance of Kénitra again. This is following the decision of the Supreme Council of the Judiciary (CSPJ) to endorse his dismissal from his duties. The request for renewal, made by the president of the court of first instance, did not receive the approval of the CSPJ, notes Akhbar Al Yaoum.

This decision deserves reflection, insofar as it was taken following two major events. The first concerns the refusal of the now former anti-corruption judge to accept the sum of ten million dirhams in exchange for dropping the proceedings in a case of international drug trafficking. In addition to his refusal, Abderrazak Jbari had ordered the detention of the criminal and added the charge of "corruption" to the charges against him.

The second is related to an anonymous complaint against Judge Jbari, addressed to the Attorney General, Mohamed Abdennabaoui. According to the complaint, the integrity of the one who had in the meantime sentenced notables who had tried to corrupt him to custodial sentences is called into question. As secretary general of the Magistrates’ Club, Abderrazak Jbari sent a declaration of his assets to its president, Abdellatif Chentouf. To date, the judge’s hearing has not taken place.