Three-year sentence in Moroccan consulate fraud, second suspect wanted by Interpol

On Monday evening, the Moroccan judiciary handed down its rulings in a financial manipulation case involving the Moroccan Consulate in Dubai. One consular official received a three-year prison sentence, while the main suspect remains at large after fleeing the UAE, prompting the issuance of an Interpol arrest warrant for his capture and extradition.

According to the daily Assabah, an internal audit uncovered years of embezzlement carried out by the two officials, with digital records showing the amounts misappropriated. A fact-finding mission sent to Dubai by Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita confirmed serious financial irregularities, leading the ministry to file a complaint with the Public Prosecutor in Rabat, which oversees financial crimes.

The Public Prosecution tasked the regional branch of the judicial police in Rabat with the investigation. Officers arrested the first official upon his return to Morocco after being summoned by central authorities. During questioning, the detainee attempted to place full responsibility on the second official, records later confirmed that the latter had not re-entered Morocco.

After being confronted with inspection reports and evidence tying him to the collection of consular fees, the detained official was brought before the Public Prosecutor, who ordered his provisional detention. During the trial, he again tried to shift blame to the fugitive, but the court found him guilty of embezzlement, misappropriation of public funds, and forgery. He was sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to reimburse more than 45 million dirhams to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This ruling remains pending the arrest of the second suspect, identified by investigators as the primary orchestrator of the scheme.