Fes Court's Ruling on Taza Council President
In a significant development, the Criminal Chamber at the Fes Court has mandated the President of the Taza Regional Council, affiliated with the National Rally of Independents, to appoint a legal defense team within one week. This decision follows serious allegations against him concerning a network involved in invoice forgery aimed at tax evasion. The court has postponed his trial until April 17, providing time for him and his co-defendants, currently incarcerated, to prepare for their defense.
The court's ruling came in response to a request from the defense of the accused, who has been held at the Bourkaiz prison for the past two days. The court has ordered his presence in the courtroom along with his eleven co-defendants, including his two brothers, who are suspected of operating companies that allegedly utilized forged invoices.
The President of the Taza Regional Council faces multiple charges, including fraud, forgery of official documents, and creating false certificates containing inaccurate information. These accusations stem from a complaint filed by the public prosecutor's office at the Fes Court, which was made earlier this month. The nature of the charges varies among the co-defendants, with some facing additional allegations of using forged commercial documents and false certificates to justify their companies' expenses, thereby avoiding legitimate tax obligations.
Among those charged alongside the council president are his two brothers, a company manager, a state engineer, a private sector employee, a contractor, and several other individuals, including traders and farmers. The case gained traction following a tip-off received by the public prosecutor’s office months ago, which indicated the existence of a criminal network engaged in invoice forgery. This led to the unraveling of the network, with reports suggesting that influential individuals in Taza were involved in the issuance of these fraudulent invoices, prompting the public prosecutor's office to direct the regional investigation unit to take action.
As reported by inews.ma.
