Two political figures from Marrakech accused of real estate spoliation

The accused, Younes Benslimane, deputy of the Marrakech Sidi Youssef Ben Ali constituency and vice-president of the Marrakech-Safi region, and Abdelaziz Banine, former deputy and member of the Marrakech municipal council and the Marrakech-Safi regional council, are accused of misappropriation of public funds, transfer of land to elected officials to the detriment of a royal project, abuse of power, fraud, money laundering and illicit enrichment.

The two elected officials are accused following the complaint filed with the Attorney General of the King near the Court of Appeal of Marrakech by Abdelilah Tatouche, president of the National Association for the Defense of Human Rights and the Protection of Public Funds. According to the complaint, the facts date back to the period 2009-2015 during which the Marrakech municipal council had acquired three plots of land for the construction of a bus station, the extension of the municipal market and the construction of a taxi station.

But for unknown reasons, two of the plots of land were returned to the State Domains Administration. The first plot, with an area of 5,900 m², was leased to the AYAKECH company at a rate of 30 dirhams per square meter per year. The plaintiff accuses Younes Ben Slimane of being the owner of this company, which he would have resold to two people, to whom he would have obtained permits to build a service station and a hotel there.

As for the second plot (6000 m²), it was transferred to the GASTO company, of which Abdelaziz Banine would be one of the partners. A service station and a hotel have been built on this plot, which was initially intended to accommodate a bus station. The elected official also acquired another plot of land with an area of 5,394 m² through his brother-in-law, on which a private three-story school has been built. A judicial investigation has been opened by the Regional Brigade of the Judicial Police of Marrakech to shed light on these cases.