Three Justice Ministry employees jailed in Casablanca over judicial mediation scandal

A Casablanca investigating judge ordered the detention of three Justice Ministry employees at the Ain Sebaa local prison in connection with an expanding judicial mediation and bribery case that has implicated numerous individuals across multiple cities.

The three court clerks, affiliated with the judicial district of El Jadida, were among eight suspects brought before the judge early Friday morning, according to well informed Hespress AR sources. They had previously been referred by the King’s public prosecutor at the Casablanca Court of Appeals around midnight Thursday.

The judge ordered that one additional court clerk from the Casablanca Court of Appeals be released on bail of 20,000 dirhams. Meanwhile, a police officer stationed at the Safi court, a civil protection employee, a municipal councilor, and a farmer were released under judicial supervision pending further investigation.

All suspects had been held in police custody earlier this week as part of a broader investigation led by the National Judicial Police Brigade (BNPJ), under the supervision of the competent public prosecutor. They are accused of involvement in judicial mediation schemes, including bribery, corruption, and tampering with judicial decisions.

Authorities initially planned to present the suspects on Wednesday, but custody was extended to allow for further investigation, according to the same source. The case is expected to reveal additional individuals and officials allegedly linked to the detained suspects, currently held in pretrial detention at the Ain Sebaa prison, commonly known as Oukacha.

Earlier this month, the BNPJ referred 23 individuals, including several women, to the public prosecutor as part of a broader crackdown on a suspected criminal network engaged in manipulating court rulings and facilitating judicial corruption.

The Casablanca prosecutor previously referred some of the arrested individuals to various jurisdictions: one to the Ain Sebaa Court of First Instance, three to the Safi Court, and four to the El Jadida Court of Appeals.

Out of the suspects brought before the investigating judge, ten have been sent to Ain Sebaa prison, while seven others were released under judicial control. The public prosecutor has charged them with forming a criminal network, bribery, mediation with public officials, trafficking in judicial rulings, and altering prison sentences.

The case continues to unfold, with expectations of further arrests and judicial inquiries in the coming weeks.