Moroccan Corruption Worsens, 74% Say Government Efforts Insufficient: Transparency International Report

Transparency International focused its study on citizens’ perceptions of electoral and governmental corruption in Morocco, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Sudan and Tunisia. For the case of Morocco, 53% of citizens believe that institutional corruption is worsening. Thus, Morocco ranks behind Tunisia, where 67% of citizens say that this scourge is clearly on the rise. Jordan (55%), Palestine (62%) and Lebanon (68%) also outperform the kingdom on this list. Sudan tops this ranking with a percentage of 82%.

In total, 74% of Moroccans believe that the government’s approach is ineffective in the fight against corruption. According to them, politicians often accept bribes and promote fraud. "The handling of corruption cases reveals a gap between the promises of the leaders and concrete actions. According to the results of the GCB, one Moroccan in four thinks that most or all judges, magistrates and police officers are corrupt," the Transparency International report states.

The international anti-corruption NGO also points out that "the police have the highest rate of corruption (22%) and are the public function most likely to demand and receive bribes".

In the face of this rather gloomy picture, Transparency International calls on the governments of the MENA region to "act and show serious political will against corruption".