Significant Updates in the Deputy Attorney General's Appeal Trial
The ongoing appeal trial of the Deputy Attorney General of Fes, identified as M.M., is currently taking place in the Appeals Chamber for Financial Crimes in Rabat. This case has been a source of significant media attention since September 2025, when its repercussions extended to various courts across Morocco, particularly affecting the highest judicial authority in the country. The case gained notoriety as it involved allegations of bribery amounting to 50 million centimes against a judicial official, leading to a parliamentary member from the "PAM" party being implicated. On Wednesday, September 30, the judge appeared in a state of release before the ruling chamber.
During this session, the absence of the defendant's legal defense team was noted, attributed to an ongoing general strike by lawyers protesting legislation concerning their profession. This situation prompted the suspended judge, previously aligned with the public prosecution, to request the court to postpone the case. The defendant insisted on attending with the support of two attorneys from Fes and another from Rabat. The court granted this request and postponed the case until October 28, allowing the defense team to participate, as lawyers are expected to return to their duties on October 7, 2026, concluding their strike against the enforcement of the law regulating access to the legal profession.
This upcoming session is anticipated to finally present the judge's case, following numerous delays. Despite the court repeatedly justifying these postponements as the "last chance" for the defendant, other cases involving different defendants in various courts are being processed, even with their legal teams present.
Background of the Case
It is essential to recall that the origins of this case trace back to a violent incident that took place in November 2023 at a nightclub located in a tourist resort owned by a member of the PAM party, adjacent to the royal palace in the "Dwayat" area of the Moulay Yacoub region. The altercation involved two individuals, accompanied by two women and nightclub security personnel, culminating in the intervention of gendarmerie forces from the "Ras El Ma" unit, after a senior judicial official in Fes, related to one of the clients, was called upon. Allegations of assault and the use of tear gas were raised during this encounter. As per the parliamentary member's account, the Deputy Attorney General of Fes, acting beyond his jurisdiction, informed him that he was assigned by his superior to investigate the nightclub brawl and subsequently offered to settle the matter for a financial amount, to prevent potential legal ramifications that could lead to the closure of the tourist resort by authorities.
Further investigations revealed that the parliamentary member agreed to settle this nightclub incident, particularly after his son was implicated in using tear gas against the niece of a senior judicial official in Fes. The parliamentary member successfully ensnared the Deputy Attorney General, who was allegedly enticed by a significant sum of 50 million centimes. This led to their meeting at a restaurant near the Fes-Meknes highway on November 23, 2023, where the parliamentarian arranged for witnesses to document the bribery transaction. The Deputy Attorney General chose to camouflage the payment using a car belonging to a friend of his wife, where the sum in question was concealed in the vehicle's trunk, alongside charges of fraud and abuse of power, considered to be among the gravest offenses in public service in Morocco.
Since November 23, 2023, the judicial official was under the impression that he was secure, having retained the bribe amount, unaware that unforeseen events were on the horizon. Following a series of disputes between the parties involved, it is expected that the trial proceedings will reveal the circumstances surrounding the breakdown of the previously cooperative relationship between the judicial official in Fes and the parliamentary member from Moulay Yacoub, culminating in the filing of a complaint by the parliamentarian that exposed the bribery incident, complete with video evidence.
Observers of this case, which has led to the downfall of the Deputy Attorney General of Fes, M.M., suggest that while it has uncovered some truths, many areas remain shrouded in mystery. There are still individuals suspected of involvement who have not been held accountable, especially when considering the events that began within the nightclub of the tourist resort adjacent to the royal residence in Moulay Yacoub, extending through gendarmerie patrols and phone calls from professional offices, and concluding at a restaurant near the Fes-Meknes highway. The question remains: will the second round of the trial reveal the concealed intricacies manipulated by controlling hands in this case when it is revisited in the appeals process?
As reported by almayadeennews.ma.
