Morocco Corruption Probe: 17 Officials Face Trial for Embezzlement and Abuse of Power

Among them are "the former deputy and ex-president of the urban commune of Beni Mellal, two former parliamentarians, an official in the financial service of the commune and member of the communal council, an engineer, a female civil servant, a real estate developer and the head of a research firm," reports Assabah. They will be brought this Tuesday before the competent public prosecutor’s office after the National Judicial Police Brigade (BNPJ) of Casablanca completed the investigation opened on this case involving irregularities in public contracts and projects in the commune of Beni Mellal during the two previous mandates.

These anomalies had already been the subject of an audit carried out by the General Inspection of Territorial Administration (IGAT) and concern in particular the issue of incompatibility in the awarding of certain public contracts, the transfer of land with an area of seven hectares to a company specializing in real estate, the embezzlement of public funds and other irregularities related to the industrial zone. The investigation is ongoing and could lead to the arrest of other individuals such as the head of a research firm whose name was mentioned in the reports established by the competent authorities.

As a reminder, the former deputy and ex-president of the urban commune of Beni Mellal was dismissed from his duties in 2020 by the administrative justice, then removed from parliament in 2023 by the Constitutional Court.