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The Court of Cassation has dismissed the appeal lodged by defendants in the high-profile Saadi Casino case in Marrakech. This decision upholds the earlier verdict by the Criminal Appeals Chamber for financial crimes at the Marrakech Court of Appeal, which confirmed the ruling of the Primary Criminal Chamber.
The case traces back to the tenure of Istiqlal leader Abdellatif Abdouh as chairman of the Menara Gueliz Municipality in Marrakech from 1997 to 2003. In 2001, Abdouh controversially sold the land on which the «Saadi Casino» was built for 600 dirhams per square meter, despite the market value exceeding 15,000 dirhams per square meter.
The National Authority for the Protection of Public Funds in Marrakech filed a complaint against Abdouh, accusing him of corruption along with 10 others, including contractors, employees, and political party leaders, some of whom still serve on the Marrakech communal council.
The trial commenced in 2006, culminating in a February 2015 conviction. Abdouh received a five-year prison sentence, a 50,000 dirham fine, and confiscation of bribery-acquired apartments in the «Cinco» subdivision. The other defendants were sentenced to three years in prison and fined 40,000 dirhams each. The Criminal Appeals Chamber upheld these sentences on November 26, 2020.
Mohamed El Ghalloussi, president of the Moroccan Association for the Protection of Public Funds, praised the Court of Cassation's decision. In a Facebook post, he stated, «We can only commend the decision of the Court of Cassation, which represents a step in the right direction.»
El Ghalloussi anticipates the Public Prosecutor at the Court of Cassation will forward the decision to the Public Prosecutor at the Court of Appeal in Marrakech, as per Article 555 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, to enforce the appellate decision by incarcerating the defendants.
He further remarked that the prolonged legal proceedings highlight how a political elite, in collusion with authorities, exploited public office for illicit gain, exacerbating corruption and undermining societal values of development, dignity, and justice.
