Moroccan Local Officials Jailed for Corruption, Barred from Office for 10 Years

In addition to their firm imprisonment and the payment of a fine of 50,000 dirhams, and one symbolic dirham as damages and interest to the civil party, the two local elected officials were deprived of their civil rights and barred from running for office for ten years. The president of the commune is a member of the Moroccan Union for Democracy, and the vice-president was elected under the colors of the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), reports the daily Assabah.

They were recorded while receiving a bribe from the hands of a man who wanted to buy a plot of land for his wife. They demanded a commission of 20,000 dirhams to help him settle the situation. But when confronted with the video recording, the vice-president of the commune denied the facts. For him, this commission is in no way related to a land purchase, but concerns an ongoing housing program in the commune. For his part, the president of the commune declared before the court that he is not concerned by the case of allocation of land plots within the framework of this rehousing program for slum dwellers.

Even though they denied all the charges against them, the public prosecutor was able to provide evidence of their guilt. This is what prompted the court of first instance of Kenitra to sentence the two defendants to three and a half years in prison and the payment of a fine of 50,000 dirhams each.