Moroccan Lawmaker’s Fraud Trial Delayed as Bank Alleges $60 Million Scheme

Since January, Babour Sghir, a UC deputy, has been in pre-trial detention following a complaint for fraud filed by Bank of Africa (BOA), reports Médias24. The amount of the fraud would be more than 600 million dirhams. The defense of the elected official has rejected the accusations. It refers to a simple case of commercial debts.

The trial of the parliamentarian continued. At Wednesday’s hearing, he appeared by videoconference before the Casablanca Criminal Court. Stating his identity, he claims to be "unemployed". "I had nothing before my arrest," he assures, before making a request: to attend his trial in person. A request that was granted by the judge. The latter postponed the trial to February 16.

If the court finds him guilty of fraud, the elected official risks a prison sentence of one to five years and a fine of 500 to 5,000 dirhams, or a prison sentence of two to ten years and a maximum fine of 100,000 dirhams if he has appealed to the public for the "issue of shares, bonds, debentures, shares or any securities, either of a commercial or industrial enterprise", in accordance with the provisions of Article 540 of the Penal Code.