Prominent Fez Notary Jailed: Allegations of Fraud and Document Forgery Surface

It all started with a complaint filed by the National Office of Electricity and Water (ONEE) against N.B., presented as the most famous notary in the city of Fez. The office found itself confronted with certain problems after acquiring three apartments in Fez for a value of 1.9 million dirhams. In a 2013 correspondence, the notary made it appear that these problems had been resolved, and demanded 370,000 dirhams, reports the Arabic daily Al Akhbar. Except that the preliminary investigation revealed that N.B. did not take any necessary measures to resolve the situation.

On Thursday, the notary was arrested in a villa in Fez. He is suspected of being involved in several cases of contract manipulation, including through document forgery, fraud, as well as the misappropriation of public and private funds. Targeted by several search warrants at both the local and national levels, he was placed in pre-trial detention in the local prison. The accused is being prosecuted under arrest for the misappropriation and embezzlement of funds from the National Office of Electricity and Water (ONEE). His trial opened before the Criminal Chamber responsible for financial crimes near the Court of Appeal of Fez.