Morocco: When public officials rent luxury cars for their relatives

The investigations are focusing on the conditions under which these contracts were awarded, which have benefited a small circle of agencies. This involves the rental of more than thirty vehicles, nearly half of which are luxury models, reveals Assabah. The inspectors are trying to determine whether the rules of competition have been respected, while there are indications that some executives of these institutions may have invested, through relatives, in the rental companies to secure these public contracts.

This drift is based on a recent administrative trend favoring rental over acquisition, an option initially encouraged to reduce costs. However, to circumvent the strict purchasing procedures or public tenders, some institutions divide the contracts into several small lots, thus facilitating the signing of direct agreements with targeted agencies.

The first checks by the IGF have revealed troubling links. Two companies that have won four contracts would belong to individuals related by alliance to the officials of the targeted institutions. Similarly, several contracts would have been awarded to members of a public official’s family, suggesting a system of exchange of favors to avoid drawing attention.

These dysfunctions occur in a tight budgetary context. The state’s vehicle fleet, taking into account insurance costs and drivers’ salaries, already represents an annual burden estimated at least 4 billion dirhams for public finances.