The criminal chamber at the primary court in Fes has recently announced the postponement of the trial involving Abdelilah Aziz, the president of the regional council of Taza, along with eleven other individuals, including two women. This group is implicated in a criminal network engaged in fraud, forgery, and tax evasion activities. As reported by sources close to the situation, the trial has been rescheduled for May 22 due to the absence of the presiding judge, Abdel Majid Wazani. It is worth noting that no bail requests were presented during the latest session, following a consistent rejection in previous hearings.
The dismantling of this criminal network followed a tip-off received by the public prosecutor’s office several months ago, which indicated the existence of a group involved in the forgery of invoices. This tip-off was submitted by an anonymous source claiming to represent "Civil Society Associations in Fes." The information detailed the operation of several individuals with various businesses issuing fraudulent and falsified invoices.
Investigations revealed that the network specialized in fraud and forgery, utilizing these illicit documents in administrative affairs and official reports. They were reportedly establishing companies through deceitful means and exploiting unsuspecting individuals for the purpose of selling fraudulent invoices. Furthermore, the police's regional judicial team in Fes uncovered that this network had been falsifying reference certificates to gain public contracts through fraudulent methods.
Moreover, the group had been filing false declarations, concealing income, and using forged documents to evade tax responsibilities, thus undermining both direct and indirect tax obligations. The network allegedly employed fraudulent tactics to mislead tax authorities into believing that ownership of these companies had legitimately transferred to individuals engaged in these operations, accomplished through mock sales contracts. This deceitful approach aimed to exploit administrative errors and secure tax exemptions while maintaining actual control over the companies.
According to security investigation findings, this criminal model, referred to as "pass-through companies" or "Societe de Passage," involved establishing companies to reap the benefits of their formation, subsequently liquidating their movable assets, and then selling them to individuals who were often illiterate and unaware of the implications. This scheme has resulted in substantial losses to the General Directorate of Taxes, costing the state billions of dirhams and directly contributing to the illicit enrichment of several founders of these companies.
The public prosecutor at the primary court in Fes has charged the defendants with multiple offenses under the criminal code, including fraud, forgery of commercial documents, producing false certificates, and tax fraud through the issuance of fictitious invoices.
As reported by goud.ma.
