Conviction of Local Officials for False Accusation
The Ordinary Criminal Chamber of the Court of First Instance in Fes has pronounced a judgment condemning the Vice President of the City Council and his son to three months in prison, suspended, along with a fine of 500 dirhams each. This decision comes in light of their proven involvement in committing the crime of false accusation.
In the civil aspect of the case, the judicial authority mandated the convicted parties to pay a financial compensation amounting to 10,000 dirhams collectively to the victim, a professional journalist who had positioned herself as a civil party in the case. Additionally, they were held responsible for the legal costs, with the determination of enforcing physical coercion if one of them fails to comply.
The background of this case traces back to a direct complaint lodged by the journalist with the competent public prosecution, wherein she accused the elected official and his son of defaming her and fabricating a fictional scenario that accused her of extortion without any concrete evidence or proof to support their claims.
Subsequent investigations and technical expertise conducted by the police laboratory on the journalist's mobile phone disproved the allegations made by the city official and his son, confirming the absence of any evidence against her. This finding previously prompted the public prosecution to decide to dismiss their counter-complaint. Consequently, the journalist sought legal recourse to pursue the defendants, aiming to restore her reputation and seek redress for the psychological and professional damages she suffered due to these baseless accusations.
As reported by ardbladi.com.
