Corruption Allegations Against Gendarmes in Morocco
On September 19, 2023, three members of the Moroccan gendarmerie, including a commanding officer, are set to appear before the Financial Crimes Court at the Court of Appeal in Rabat. They face serious allegations of unlawfully detaining a person and subsequently extorting money for his release. The case escalated when the misconduct was exposed, prompting intervention from the regional command to address the issue.
According to information obtained by Akhbarona, the incident took place in the vicinity of Temara, where an individual was detained and quickly contacted an acquaintance, a gendarmerie officer, to report the situation. This officer subsequently relayed the details to the gendarmerie center, demanding a financial sum in exchange for the detainee's release. In response, the officer contacted the emergency hotline and informed the regional command in Rabat, which began to investigate the claims. However, the three gendarmes involved denied all allegations, presenting a narrative that starkly contradicted the complainant's account. They claimed that the detained individual had attempted to reach out to his relative, who worked within the same unit, but was rebuffed, leading to a planned entrapment.
The public prosecutor's office classified the events as financial crimes, leading the investigating judge to charge the first gendarme with attempted bribery. The other two gendarmes were charged with the destruction and mishandling of official documents as part of their duties and complicity in attempted bribery. All three defendants have been released pending further legal proceedings, which have since transitioned to the criminal court's financial crimes division in Rabat.
In light of these developments, the regional command has reassigned the implicated gendarmes to different posts while awaiting the judicial process's conclusion, ensuring that appropriate actions are taken based on the court's verdict.
As reported by akhbarona.com.
