Morocco minister sentenced 13 years embezzlement scandal

The verdict came down this Thursday, May 21, 2026. Prosecuted for misappropriation of public funds, the former mayor of Fkih Bensalah was sentenced to thirteen years in prison by the criminal chamber of Casablanca. Detained since April 2023, the former political official must also pay 30 million dirhams in compensation to his former municipality. This amount remains well below the 100 million initially demanded by the local authority, which was a civil party in this case.

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This major scandal erupted following very thorough investigations. It all started with a report from the General Inspectorate of Territorial Administration, pointing out major irregularities in the awarding of public contracts related to liquid sanitation. The National Judicial Police Brigade expanded its investigation to identify thirteen individuals, including civil servants and entrepreneurs, for corruption, forgery and influence peddling. The judicial outcome for these other defendants has not yet been announced.

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Facing what is considered an extremely severe sentence, the former leader’s camp is actively preparing its response. His legal representative, Me Brahim Amoussi, confirms the defense’s firm intention to contest the decision. He states his desire to act quickly: "We hope to receive a copy of the ruling as soon as possible, so that we can file an appeal. This is a first instance decision". The defense thus hopes to obtain a complete review of the case before the second-degree court.