Moroccan Lawmaker Among 25 on Trial for Municipal Fund Embezzlement

The PAM elected official, Rahhou El Hilaa, is being prosecuted for having benefited from the municipality’s contracts with his company. Among the other accused are the former president of the municipality, architects, company and consulting firm directors, technicians and municipal officials, reports the daily Al Akhbar.

The defendants were prosecuted by the deputy prosecutor of the king in charge of financial crimes following an investigation conducted by the regional brigade of the royal gendarmerie, which revealed suspicions of embezzlement of public funds, particularly in the context of contracts related to the urban rehabilitation program of the city of Sidi Allal Bahraoui, with a budget of 70 million dirhams, of which 41 million were financed by the Communal Equipment Fund (FEC).

Dysfunctions were noted by the Court of Auditors in the management of the projects of this program. The institution noted the manipulation of contracts, the absence of an internal control system and the failure to resort to competition in the technical study relating to the development work on the roadway and green spaces of a section of the RN