Morocco : Four journalists to appear in court for publishing confidential information

Four Moroccan journalists and a member of the House of Councilors will appear in court for distributing confidential information, reports EFE.

Mohamed Ahaddad, a journalist for Al Massae, as well as another defendant, told the Spanish news agency that the names of the three others involved are : Abdelhaq Lachgar, journalist for the daily newspaper Akhbar Alyaoum, as well as Kaoutar Zaki and Abdelah Sujair, from the online newspaper Aljarida24.ma. They will be tried January 25th at Rabat court of first instance.  

The four journalists are accused of publishing, on the newspapers for which they work, part of the confidential findings of an inquiry conducted by a parliamentary commission to investigate an alleged case of corruption at the Moroccan Pension Fund (CMR).

The court also decided to try MP Abdelhaq Hassan for the «breach of professional secrecy». He reportedly disclosed to journalists several of these confidential findings.

The accused may face a five-year sentence in prison and a fine of 1,000 to 10,000 dirhams.