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Since the 2021 Moroccan General Elections, held on September 8 and won by the National Rally of Independents (RNI), led by Aziz Akhannouch, many parliamentarians were dragged to courts, charged, or sentenced in cases related to fraud and corruption.
The list includes more than 20 MPs, from different political parties, some of whom are already serving prison sentences and others pending trial. Convicted, some of these MPs lost their Parliament seats following decisions of the Constitutional court.
The National Rally of Independents (RNI) tops the list
The National Rally of Independents Party (RNI) has the largest number of MPs convicted or prosecuted by Moroccan courts. Five RNI politicians have been dragged to court since their party won the 2021 elections. The first one on the list is Rachid El Fayek who was sentenced in July to five years in jail and fined 80,000 dirhams, after being convicted on charges of «human trafficking and rape of a mentally challenged minor».
In October 2022, MP Younes Benslimane was handed a one-year suspended sentence, and ordered to pay a 20,000 dirham-fine, after he was found guilty of misusing public funds.
In February, parliamentarian Ismail Barhoumi was sentenced to two years in prison for embezzlement of public funds. Most recently, a Casablanca appeal court sentenced, Wednesday, former National Rally of Independents MP Mohamed El Hidaoui to 8 months in prison for embezzlement over tickets destined for the country's fans in last year's FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
El Hidaoui, who also heads the Olympic Safi football club, has lost his seat at the Parliament. The decision was made public, Tuesday December 26, by the country’s Constitutional Court.
Two days ago, the investigating judge decided to press charges against RNI member of Parliament Mohamed Simo, on charges of embezzlement of public funds.
Four Constitutional Union Party (UC) MPs behind bars
In November, a court in Rabat sentenced MP Yassin Radi to one year in prison on charges of failure to report a felony, failure to provide assistance to a person in need, and solliciting prostitution.
In October, Abdelaziz El Ouadki, an MP for the Constitutional Union Party, was arrested for several accusations, namely forming a criminal gang, forging an official document and using it, participating in the destruction and concealment of public and private documents, bribery, and fraud among others.
In August, MP Babour Sghir was handed a five-year sentence for defrauding banks and companies of an amount exceeding 600 million dirhams.
Parliamentarian Hassan Arif is also being prosecuted on charges related to imposing a tax on unbuilt lands, collusion in violating the law, and insulting the judicial police for doing their job, for which he was initially handed a six-month suspended sentence.
Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) MPs in court
From the Authenticity and Modernity Party, four parliamentarians have been convicted so far, including the head of the party’s parliamentary team at the House of Representatives, Ahmed Touizi, who is prosecuted for financial imbalances in the management of the municipality of Ait Ourir in the Al Haouz province, which he heads, along with Hicham Mhajri, who appeared yesterday before the appeal court in Casablanca for an embezzlement of public funds case.
Both Said Naciri and Abdenbi Bioui are also being detained, on suspicion of their involvement in what has become called by media as the «Escobar of the Desert» case related to international drug trafficking.
Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP) is on the list
Mohamed Aberchan, from the Socialist Union of Popular Forces, is brought before the Financial crimes court in a case related to corruption, forgery of official documents related to construction, and mismanagement of the commune he heads.
Mohamed Aberkan, from the same party, has been charged with bribery, forgery of official documents, misusing an institution he manages and supervises, unlawfully handing over licenses and administrative certificates, influence peddling and treachery, failure to pay public fees and duties, creating subdivisions or residential groups without obtaining permission, and participating in the construction of buildings without building permits on public property.
MP Abdelkader El Boussiri is similarly arrested on charges of «embezzling public funds, influence peddling, forgery, in addition to the misdemeanor of not reporting crimes that he knew were occurring». The politician is also suspected of concluding a deal on cars seized by the vehicle pound.
Members of the Popular Movement (MP)
Among Popular Movement party MPs who were convicted was Abdenabi Al Aidoudi who handed a two-year suspended sentence on charges of misusing public funds at the commune he is heading in the Sidi Kacem province.
Parliamentarian and former minister Mohamed Moubdii was also charged with «misusing public funds». Parliamentarian Mehdi Atmoun was also sentenced to three years in prison and fined 30,000 dirhams for embezzling public funds.
Other political parties
The judicial prosecutions included Thami El Meski from the Democratic and Social Movement party (MDS), who was stripped of his parliamentary seat by the Constitutional Court, as two court rulings were issued against him, resulting in an 8-month prison sentence and a fine of 10,000 dirhams, in addition to another one-month sentence and a fine of 10,000 dirhams for corruption.
From the Istiqlal Party (PI), Mohammed Krimin is investigated for embezzlement of subsidy funds allocated to meat. He was already removed from the presidency of the Bouznika commune.
In March 2022, the Progress and Socialism Party (PPS) MP Said Zaidi was sentenced to one year in prison and fined 800,000 dirhams, following his prosecution on bribery charges, after he was caught red-handed obtaining a sum of money from a contractor in Rabat.
