The Democratic Left Federation (FGD) has urged the public prosecutor to pursue legal action against former Rabat municipal presidents Mohamed Sadiki (PJD) and Asmaa Rhlalou (RNI) for alleged mismanagement and financial misconduct.
This call follows revelations from the Regional Council of Accounts, which exposed operational inefficiencies and financial mismanagement in the municipality’s human resources management. The council’s report was made public yesterday.
The FGD announced it will take action during the October 2024 council meeting to address the report’s findings and propose a comprehensive strategy to overhaul the municipality’s financial and human resources procedures.
Sources within the municipality told Hespress that the discussion of the report might be delayed until February, bypassing the October session. Ruling party members are reportedly preparing for an extraordinary meeting to discuss the report and potential responses.
The PJD and the FGD, both expected to be in opposition, have differing views on the report’s findings. The primary issue involves “ghost employees” and the appointment of the Director General of Services, who allegedly lacks the required qualifications.
The report highlighted the issue of “ghost employees” in the Rabat Municipality, revealing severe absenteeism with only 36% of workers regularly present. It also noted that the municipality continues to pay individuals who are deceased, retired, or not on the official personnel list, resulting in financial mismanagement and an annual loss of more than 35 million dirhams.
Additionally, the investigation uncovered several HR inefficiencies during Asmaa Rhlalou’s administration, including inconsistencies in staff records and the payment of salaries to individuals without formal positions.
The report also raised concerns about accountability and governance, including irregularities in hiring practices, abuse of department vehicles by managers, and inadequate disciplinary actions for absenteeism.
Anas Dahmouni, head of the PJD team in Rabat’s municipal council, addressed concerns regarding the appointment of the Director of Services. He stated that the General Treasury followed the 2011 decree in setting application criteria.
Dahmouni explained that the report was preliminary and did not declare the appointment illegal. He also noted that legal action against Asmaa Rhlalou is not planned, as the ghost employee issue predates her tenure and affects multiple municipalities.
Regarding payments to deceased and retired individuals, Dahmouni attributed the issue to “random hiring practices” aimed at combating unemployment since the 1990s, “which led to the employment of unqualified individuals.” The outsourcing of services like gardening and sanitation further exposed this problem.
Dahmouni acknowledged that while Rhlalou shares some responsibility, the large number of employees and the failure of families to report deaths also contributed to the issue. He confirmed that the report would be discussed in February, not October, and that the municipality would have the opportunity to provide comments to inform a new HR strategy.
Farouk Mehdaoui, a member of the Democratic Left Federation in the Rabat municipal council, criticized the PJD’s justifications, accusing them of being aware of their involvement in the Court of Auditors’ investigation covering the period from 2018 to January 2024.
Mehdaoui described the appointment of the Director of Services as illegal and criticized the exclusion of qualified candidates as a significant violation. He held Mohamed Sadiki and Asmaa Rhlalou responsible for failing to address the ghost employee issue during their tenures.
Regarding the current council president, Fatiha Almoudni, Mehdaoui noted that while there is no direct evidence implicating her, her silence on the illegal appointment of the Director of Services suggests involvement. A source from the council’s ruling majority informed Hespress that majority leaders plan to hold an urgent meeting to address the Regional Court of Auditors’ report.
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