The Criminal Chamber for Financial Crimes at the Fez Court of Appeal issued a decisive verdict on Wednesday, June 26, in the trial of the network of “corruption, embezzlement, squandering of public funds and abuse of power” that was rampant within the Fez municipal council. This judgment marks a significant turning point in the fight against corruption in Morocco, highlighting the Kingdom’s commitment to moralizing its political life in accordance with royal directives.
The mayor of Fez sentenced: a strong signal
The mayor of the spiritual capital of the kingdom, Abdeslam Bekkali, prosecuted while at liberty, was sentenced to six months in prison for “falsification of agreements and contracts” within the same territorial community. This decision thus annuls the first instance verdict which had acquitted him of all charges.
Abdeslam Bekkali and the secretary of the municipal council, Soufiane Drissi, initially acquitted at first instance, were each sentenced to six months in prison for failure to report and abuse of power. This sentence sends a clear message: impunity no longer has a place in Moroccan public institutions.
Severe sentences for the main accused
Islam Fadlallah, also involved in a case in a municipal car market, saw his sentence increased from three to five years in prison. Other defendants, such as Ahmed Aghridis, director of the municipal depot, and Drago Mohamed, intermediary, also received harsher prison sentences.
Former USFP MP Abdelkader El Boussairi saw his sentence increase from five to eight years in prison, accompanied by a fine of 100,000 dirhams. Last January, the Constitutional Court had already stripped him of his mandate as deputy, and the administrative court of Fez had dismissed him from his position as third deputy mayor of Fez. These severe sanctions reflect the determination of the judicial authorities to punish abuse of power and misappropriation of public funds.
NGOs and associations play a crucial role in monitoring political practices and denouncing abuses. The strengthening of civil society in Morocco is accompanied by measures facilitating access to information and encouraging citizen participation in decision-making processes.
A royal commitment for an honest Morocco
This verdict is in line with royal directives aimed at moralizing Moroccan political life. King Mohammed VI has, on several occasions, expressed his wish to see Morocco equip itself with transparent and honest institutions, free from any form of corruption. These judicial decisions demonstrate a firm desire to eradicate corrupt practices and restore citizens’ confidence in their institutions.
Abdeslam Bekkali, elected president of the Municipal Council of Fez on September 20, 2021, now sees his mandate tainted by these legal cases. However, this conviction could well be the prelude to a new era for Fez, where transparency and integrity will be the watchwords of local governance. Morocco, under the enlightened leadership of the Sovereign, continues to show the way to a democracy strengthened by honest and responsible institutions.
In short, this trial and its exemplary verdicts reinforce the image of a Morocco determined to fight corruption, faithful to royal directives and determined to offer its citizens a healthy and morally irreproachable political life. The moralization of political life cannot be effective without the active participation of civil society.
