Controversy at Nice's En-nour Mosque after discovery of 120,000 euros in cash

The En-Nour Grand Mosque in western Nice has become the focus of controversy after the discovery of more than €120,000 in cash that had been kept on site for several years. According to the regional daily Nice-Matin, cited by Le Figaro, the president of the mosque’s association and former treasurer, Adil Echaoui, suspects «accounting irregularities» on the part of the salaried imam, Mahmoud Benzamia.

Speaking to Le Figaro, Ouassini Mebarek, lawyer for rector Mahmoud Benzamia, explained that «this corresponds to several years of donations that were kept in the association’s safe». He added: «I don’t see how religious funds could constitute a possible offense». Still, the lawyer acknowledged it was «a mistake» to have stored such a large sum on the premises and confirmed that it has since been deposited in a bank.

«These funds in no way come from abroad; they consist solely of donations from local worshippers», insisted Mebarek. According to the same source, two representatives of the Muslim religious authority were expected to intervene to ease tensions between the association president and the imam.

As of Wednesday, however, the En-Nour institute said «no solution has been found». The president claims that «hundreds of thousands of euros» are missing. The imam, for his part, is alleged to have refused mediation, something the institution described as «a new refusal to take responsibility» in a press release. Mebarek, however, denies that his client ever refused mediation.

This is not the first time the En-Nour mosque has been at the center of controversy. The site, completed in 2016 after a decade of legal battles, faced opposition from Mayor Christian Estrosi, who raised concerns over suspected Saudi financing of the project.

More recently, in March, Imam Benzamia drew criticism for comments made on Algerian television, describing Nice as a «hateful and racist» city while expressing pride in leading an «Algerian Islamic center in Nice». The rector later claimed those remarks had been «taken out of context».