Marrakech ex mayor Mohamed Larbi Belkaid acquitted in COP22 contracts case

The criminal chamber in charge of financial cases at the Marrakech Court of Appeal on Tuesday acquitted Mohamed Larbi Belkaid, the former mayor of Marrakech and a member of the PJD, as well as MP Younes Benslimane, a member of the RNI, in the case involving contracts awarded as part of preparations for COP22.

The court thereby overturned the first-instance ruling handed down in January 2026, which had sentenced the two officials to two years in prison, fined them 20,000 dirhams each, and ordered them to pay 4 million dirhams in damages.

The case centered on suspected irregularities in the awarding of public contracts by Marrakech City Hall during preparations for COP22, held in 2016. A judicial investigation had been opened following complaints filed by human rights organizations, which alleged possible misuse of public funds.

At the time of COP22, Mohamed Larbi Belkaid was mayor of Marrakech. Younes Benslimane, then a member of the PJD before joining the RNI led by Aziz Akhannouch, was serving as deputy mayor.