Ben Didi Cleared of Corruption Allegations
In a significant legal development, the Court of Appeal in Marrakech has overturned the criminal charges related to corruption and participation in receiving benefits in a contract against Ibrahim Ben Didi, a member of parliament from the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM). The court's ruling, issued on Thursday, not only exonerated Ben Didi of these serious accusations but also reduced his initial sentence from three years of imprisonment to two years, suspended. This case revolved around financial and administrative irregularities that were alleged to have occurred during his tenure as president of the local council of Tinghir.
The court accepted the appeal submitted by the involved parties, leading to the annulment of the previous conviction. In its ruling, the court declared that Ben Didi would not be held accountable for the charges of corruption and receiving benefits, thereby confirming his innocence in these matters. However, the court upheld the initial ruling regarding other charges leveled against him.
Moreover, the appellate court dismissed the previous decision against another defendant, identified as 'A.A.', and ordered the return of his case file to the primary criminal court for further consideration in accordance with the law. For other defendants in the case, the court decided to suspend their prison sentences entirely while imposing costs on those convicted.
In a related civil case, the court annulled the compensation previously awarded to the company 'Tokotra' against Ben Didi but maintained the compensation for other defendants. Additionally, the court increased the compensation owed to the Tinghir local council from 420,000 dirhams to 600,000 dirhams, requiring those convicted to pay the costs associated with the ruling. The defendants present were informed about the deadline for filing an appeal.
Previously, the initial ruling by the primary criminal court had declared the case against several defendants void due to their deaths, while the remaining defendants were held accountable for their alleged transgressions. Ibrahim Ben Didi, who currently serves as a parliamentarian, had been sentenced to three years in prison along with a fine of 50,000 dirhams. Other defendants received varying sentences and fines, also with costs imposed on all involved.
In the civil jurisdiction, the court accepted the claims from the Tinghir local council, ruling that Ben Didi and other defendants were to collectively pay a civil compensation of 420,000 dirhams to the council. Furthermore, Ben Didi and two others were ordered to pay 60,000 dirhams in compensation to 'Tokotra'. The court dismissed civil claims against the Tinghir municipal council and a deceased defendant.
As reported by hespress.com.
