Moroccan Court Delays Corruption Trial of Former Minister Mohamed Moubdi3
The Casablanca Court of Appeal has once again postponed the corruption trial of Mohamed Moubdi3, a former Moroccan minister and ex-president of the Fkih Ben Salah commune. Originally scheduled for September 5th, 2024, the trial will now take place on September 19th, 2024.
This delay marks the second time proceedings have been pushed back due to the absence of key figures. Several defendants, along with representatives from the Moroccan Association for the Protection of Public Funds (AMPPP), were not present at the courthouse.
Moubdi3, who previously served as Minister of Public Service, faces serious allegations of financial and administrative corruption. The charges stem from a complaint filed by the Casablanca-Settat branch of the AMPPP, a prominent anti-corruption watchdog.
The complaint accuses Moubdi3 of a range of offenses, including:
Embezzlement of public funds: This involves the misappropriation or misuse of funds entrusted to him in his official capacity.
Abuse of influence: This refers to using his position for personal gain or to favor specific individuals or entities.
Bribery: This involves accepting or soliciting bribes in exchange for favorable treatment or decisions.
Forgery: This could involve falsifying documents or records for illegal purposes.
The AMPPP’s complaint further alleges that Moubdi3 engaged in illicit enrichment, violated public procurement laws, manipulated contracts, inflated invoices, authorized payments for uncompleted work, and steered contracts towards preferred companies and consulting firms.
This case highlights the ongoing struggle against corruption in Morocco. Transparency International’s 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index ranked Morocco 72nd out of 180 countries, indicating a moderate level of perceived corruption. The repeated delays in this high-profile case underscore the challenges in ensuring accountability and transparency within the Moroccan justice system.
