Rabat Mayor Faces Nepotism Allegations Over Husband’s Legal Appointment

In a post published on his Twitter account, Omar El Hyani, an elected member of the Democratic Left Federation (FGD) on the Rabat City Council, revealed that Mayor Asmaa Rhlalou "appointed her husband as the city council’s lawyer before the administrative court." This information was confirmed by a document bearing the signature of her husband, Saad Ben M’barek, who is also the vice-president of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra Regional Council. This document is a response to the appeal filed by Farouk El Mahdaoui of the Left Federation against the election of the president of the Cultural, Sports and Social Affairs Committee.

On social media, this appointment has sparked strong criticism. Some denounce the "cronyism" that now reigns at Rabat City Hall. Moreover, this appointment is contrary to Article 51 of Organic Law No. 113-14 on municipalities, which "prohibits any member of the municipal council from maintaining private interests with the municipality, inter-municipal cooperation establishments or groups of local authorities of which the municipality is a member, or with public bodies or establishments, or with development companies [...]."

Faced with the controversy, Asmaa Rhlalou had to explain herself. My "husband pleads free of charge for the National Rally of Independents, and pleads free of charge for me, the city hall has not concluded any agreement with him, especially since the council already has three lawyers," she said in an interview with Goud.