Moroccan police arrested several officials linked to the long-running “Casino Saadi” corruption case, including the president of the Sidi Youssef Ben Ali district in Marrakech, authorities confirmed Friday.
Police in El Jadida detained Mohamed Nkil, a member of the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), in Sidi Bouzid before transferring him to security services in Marrakech, where he had been the subject of a national arrest warrant.
Also apprehended in Sidi Bouzid was Omar Ait Ayan, while former municipal councilor Lahcen Amroudo was taken into custody in Marrakech. Authorities are still searching for another suspect, Abdelrahman Larabi.
The arrests follow the recent detention of the case’s key figure, Abdellatif Ahdouch, a former parliamentary advisor and influential member of the Istiqlal Party.
Ahdouch was taken into custody after Morocco’s Court of Cassation upheld an appellate ruling against him, rejecting his appeal against a conviction for financial crimes. Security forces also arrested former deputy mayor Mohamed H. at his home in Douar El Kodia, Gueliz, and councilor A. M. in the Azzehhar neighborhood.
The Court of Appeals in Marrakech had previously confirmed a lower court ruling that sentenced the defendants to prison terms on charges of embezzlement, bribery, and forgery of official documents.
In 2020, the Marrakech Court of First Instance sentenced Ahdouch to five years in prison and fined him 50,000 dirhams. The court also ordered the confiscation of several apartments he owned in the Arsat Sinco development, transferring ownership to the state.
However, he was acquitted of charges related to influence peddling and misappropriation of public funds concerning the Sidi Abbad 5 development project and a restaurant.
Additionally, seven former municipal councilors were sentenced to three years in prison and fined 40,000 dirhams each. A contractor involved in the case, A. M., received a two-year sentence and a 30,000-dirham fine.
The former mayor of Gueliz-Menara, along with seven councilors and three contractors, faced trial for bribery, influence peddling, misappropriation of public funds, and document forgery.
The case, which has been ongoing for years, highlights Morocco’s continued efforts to crack down on corruption within local governance.
The Casino Saadi affair, which dates back to the early 2000s, is considered one of Morocco’s most significant corruption scandals. The case revolves around the illicit allocation of municipal land and large-scale financial mismanagement involving public funds.
The latest arrests signal renewed efforts by Moroccan authorities to enforce judicial decisions and combat corruption at high levels of government.
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