Court Orders Seizure of Bank Accounts Following Conviction
In a notable legal development, the Anti-Money Laundering Chamber of the Court of First Instance in Fez has ordered the freezing of bank accounts belonging to an NGO activist and his associate, both of whom were previously sentenced to imprisonment for their involvement in fraudulent activities related to the social program "Ouraash." The court's decision, delivered on Wednesday, comes after the two men, along with others, were found guilty of manipulating the aforementioned social initiative.
The ruling revealed that both defendants received one year of suspended imprisonment along with a hefty fine of 50,000 dirhams each. Additionally, they were ordered to cover the legal costs jointly and had their seized bank accounts confiscated for the benefit of the public treasury. This verdict follows a previous ruling in April 2024, when the primary court sentenced the president of the implicated NGO and another individual to two years of enforced imprisonment, along with a 20,000 dirham fine each, after they were found guilty of charges associated with the misappropriation of funds from the Ouraash program.
Furthermore, the same court imposed a one-year prison sentence, with six months to be served and the remainder suspended, on the treasurer of the NGO, along with a financial penalty of 10,000 dirhams. Two other defendants received similar sentences and fines. All five accused were charged while in custody, facing serious allegations including embezzlement, misappropriation of public funds, forgery of official documents, abuse of power, and extortion through coercion or violence.
In December 2024, the appellate chamber for financial crimes reaffirmed the initial rulings against the five defendants, subsequently transferring their case to the Anti-Money Laundering Chamber in the Fez First Instance Court. This case highlights the rigorous actions being taken against financial misconduct in Morocco, particularly in programs designed to benefit the public.
As reported by ar.telquel.ma.
