Legal Proceedings Against Former Mayor of Beni Mether
The Court of Appeals in Fes has announced a postponement of the trial concerning the former mayor of Beni Mether, located in the Jerada region. Originally sentenced to two years in prison for misappropriating public funds, the new hearing is scheduled for September 23. This delay comes as a result of an ongoing strike by lawyers, which has hindered the judicial process. The case involves not just the former mayor but also several other defendants, including officials and engineers, one of whom is a relative of the mayor.
Initially, the former mayor faced a verdict of two years imprisonment and a fine of 200,000 dirhams for his role in the mismanagement of public assets. However, he was acquitted of more serious charges, including bribery and participating in the forgery of official documents. In contrast, a technical assistant from the municipality was found guilty of document forgery, receiving a sentence of ten months in prison while being released on bail.
In a surprising turn, two additional defendants, including a woman, were acquitted of charges related to the misappropriation of public funds. The financial crime division dismissed the claims against them concerning the forgery of official documents, reclassifying the charges to include the forgery of private documents. Moreover, the court ruled that it lacked jurisdiction over the civil claims made against these two individuals, distinguishing them from the mayor and the technical assistant.
As part of the civil proceedings, the court ordered both the mayor and the technical assistant to collectively pay 1 million dirhams in compensation to the municipality of Beni Mether, represented by its current president. This ruling comes in light of the ongoing investigations by the regional police department into the alleged irregularities in managing the municipality's affairs. This case highlights the pressing issues surrounding governance and accountability in the region.
As reported by aljarida24.ma.
