Lhe Court of Cassation confirmed the previous judgments of the Court of Appeal dated November 6, 2020, which found the defendants guilty of corruption, abuse of power, misuse of corporate assets and squandering of public funds.
The case notably involves Abdellatif Abdouh, former president of the district of Menara-Guéliz, sentenced to five years in prison and a fine of 50,000 dirhams for having sold the land of the Casino Es Saadi, i.e. one hectare, at a ridiculous price. . In exchange, he was offered apartments in a residential complex in Marrakech, property now seized by the courts.
Seven other local councilors received three years in prison, and an entrepreneur two years.
Transparency Maroc denounces the excessive length of the trial and the multiple postponements deemed unfounded. More generally, the organization, which became a civil party from the start of the trial, severely criticizes the slowness of legal procedures in cases of corruption and squandering of public funds. She calls for faster legal action to protect public wealth and discourage all forms of corruption.
In addition, Transparency Maroc highlights the notable absence of the Marrakech City Council as a civil party, despite the significant financial damage suffered. The association believes that the Kingdom’s Judicial Agency should intervene to demand the return of the embezzled funds.
