Fes Appeals Court Postpones Hearing for 19 Defendants in Vehicle Theft Case

The Fes Appeals Court, specifically the chamber responsible for financial crimes, announced on Wednesday morning that it has postponed the hearing for 19 defendants involved in a case concerning the illegal seizure of cars and motorcycles stored at the municipal garage in the city of Oujda. This decision comes after the defendants had previously received a total of over 36 years of prison sentences in initial rulings. The next session is now scheduled to take place on November 4, 2026.

The postponement was ordered by Judge Mohamed Ben Maachou, due to the absence of several attorneys representing the defendants at today’s session. The court decided to summon these attorneys to ensure that the case could continue to be examined thoroughly, following initial judgments made in June which imposed prison sentences ranging from four months to five years, alongside various financial penalties.

In the earlier ruling, the court sentenced the main suspect to five years in prison and a fine of 50,000 dirhams. Additionally, two other defendants received four-year prison sentences along with fines of 40,000 and 50,000 dirhams respectively. Other sentences varied, with some defendants receiving prison terms ranging from three years to a minimum of four months.

The details of this case emerged when authorities dismantled a network believed to have exploited the Oujda municipal garage for the purpose of stealing vehicles and motorcycles that had been impounded. Reports indicate that some vehicles had their license plates changed, while others were disassembled and their parts sold as spare parts in junk markets.

The regional judicial police in Fes, in collaboration with the General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance, arrested over 20 individuals in connection with this case, including four public officials, among whom were the garage’s manager and three other employees working at the facility. As a result of the investigations, authorities seized ten vehicles, 17 motorcycles, and 38 dismantled car frames, along with numerous spare parts. Following these findings, the accused were referred to the judiciary, and the case has now entered the appeals stage.

As reported by ar.le360.ma.