Acquittal of Former Mayor and Deputy
The Marrakech Court of Appeal's criminal chamber, which specializes in financial cases, delivered a significant verdict on Tuesday, exonerating Mohamed Larbi Belkaid, the former mayor of Marrakech and a member of the Justice and Development Party (PJD), along with Younes Benslimane, a member of the National Rally of Independents (RNI) and former deputy mayor. This ruling effectively reversed the earlier verdict from January 2026, which had sentenced both officials to two years in prison, imposed a fine of 20,000 dirhams on each, and mandated the payment of 4 million dirhams in damages.
Background of the Case
The case revolved around alleged irregularities in the awarding of public contracts related to the preparations for COP22, the United Nations climate change conference held in Marrakech in 2016. The judicial inquiry was initiated following complaints from various human rights organizations, which raised concerns about the potential misappropriation of public funds during the event's organization. At the time of the conference, Mohamed Larbi Belkaid held the mayoral office, while Younes Benslimane served as his deputy, representing the PJD before switching allegiance to the RNI, led by Aziz Akhannouch. The recent acquittal shines a light on the complexities of accountability and transparency in public service, especially during high-profile international events.
As reported by en.yabiladi.com.
