As the highly anticipated 29th edition of the Fes World Sacred Music Festival approaches, a significant legal development has emerged, casting a shadow over the event. The Court of First Instance in Fes has rendered a verdict against Abdelraouf Zouiten, the president of the 'Spirit of Fes' Foundation, which organizes the festival. The court sentenced him to two years of suspended imprisonment and ordered the confiscation of his assets and properties in favor of the state. This ruling coincides with the final preparations for what is considered one of Morocco's most prominent cultural and artistic festivals.
Interestingly, this judicial outcome unfolded just as Zouiten participated in an on-site inspection alongside an official delegation, led by the governor of the Fes-Meknes region, to oversee the final organizational and logistical arrangements for the festival at Bab Makina Square, the venue for the opening ceremony.
The ruling, issued by the Anti-Money Laundering Chamber of the Fes Court, not only affects Zouiten but also includes several co-defendants, among them Fawzi Saqli, the former director of the festival. Each individual has been sentenced to two years of suspended imprisonment and a financial penalty of 100,000 dirhams. Additionally, the court has mandated the confiscation of real estate acquired after May 3, 2007, proportional to ownership, while lifting the seizure of properties obtained before this date unless they are subject to other legal actions, along with the confiscation of seized movable assets and bank accounts for the benefit of the state treasury.
The origins of this legal case can be traced back to a complaint filed by three members of the 'Spirit of Fes' Foundation, including the treasurer, secretary-general, and a board member. They raised concerns about various irregularities related to the management of the foundation, including the expenditure of funds related to the rental of a private jet, along with other accusations regarding the administrative and financial governance of the foundation. Notably, in 2023, the Criminal Appeal Chamber responsible for financial crimes at the Fes Court of Appeal had previously sentenced Abdelraouf Zouiten to one year of suspended imprisonment and a fine of 20,000 dirhams related to the management of the festival’s organizing body.
The timing of this ruling is particularly significant, given its alignment with the final preparations for the festival's 29th edition. In recent days, various organizational teams have been working diligently to finalize the event's agenda and welcome its guests and participants from both Morocco and abroad.
As reported by ar.le360.ma.
