New Developments in the 'Aziz Empire' Scandal
In a significant turn of events, the misdemeanor chamber of the primary court in Fes has postponed the trial of Abdelilah Aziz, the president of the Taza Regional Council, along with eleven others, including two women. This decision stems from their alleged involvement in a criminal network engaged in fraud, forgery, and tax evasion. According to sources from "Kood," the chamber, presided over by Judge Abdelmajid Wazzani, has rescheduled the proceedings to July 17, allowing the defendants to exercise their right to have legal representation present. Furthermore, it has been decided to summon additional witnesses while ensuring the accused are present in the courtroom as per their request.
The dismantling of this criminal network was initiated following a tip-off received by the public prosecutor's office months ago, indicating a fraudulent operation involving the issuance of counterfeit invoices. The anonymous whistleblower, representing an entity named "Civil Society Associations in Fes," alleged that several individuals with multiple companies were issuing fake invoices.
Investigations revealed that this criminal organization specialized in fraud and forgery, utilizing these fraudulent activities in official documents and reports. They were reportedly establishing 'front' companies through deceit and misrepresentation, which were subsequently exploited to generate and sell bogus invoices. Moreover, the regional police's inquiry uncovered that the group had forged reference certificates to secure public contracts through fraudulent means.
Alarmingly, the network was also found to be filing false declarations, concealing income, and using counterfeit documents to evade tax obligations, whether direct taxes or fees. The sources indicated that this criminal enterprise employed deceitful tactics to mislead the tax administration into believing that the ownership of the front companies had genuinely transferred to individuals engaged in this scheme. This was achieved through the creation of fictitious sale agreements aimed at misleading the authorities and reaping the benefits of tax exemptions while maintaining actual control over these companies.
This model of crime, often referred to as 'passing companies' or "Societe de Passage," is characterized by the establishment of companies for the sole purpose of exploiting the resultant benefits before liquidating their assets and selling them to individuals who are largely uneducated and unaware of the implications.
According to reports, this criminal structure has caused substantial losses to the General Tax Directorate, with estimated financial damage amounting to billions of dirhams, directly contributing to the illicit enrichment of several founders of these companies. The public prosecutor has charged the defendants with multiple misdemeanors punishable under various articles of 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.
