The president of the municipality of El Hanchane (Essaouira) was taken into custody, after going to the gendarmerie on Wednesday, where he admitted to having been involved in the accident which led to the death of Polish national Aleksandra Garbacz on the first day of Ramadan. He also admitted driving service cars in his municipality without a driving license. The gendarmerie decided to place him in custody while waiting for him to be brought before the prosecutor. The daily Al Akhbar reported on Friday that the local elected official said he lost control of his vehicle at the time of the accident. Usually traveling at high speed on the roads, he ran over the Polish teacher and her Moroccan friend, who were riding their bikes by the road. While Sif-Eddine Benjelloul had injuries, Aleksandra Gonzalez succumbed to her injuries. Friday, April 25, a tribute was paid to the Polish national, who is the only daughter of her parents living in Poland. A week after the tragedy, Yabiladi learned that the president of the town involved in the accident would be prosecuted in Morocco but also in Poland, where road accidents committed without possession of a driving license are criminalized. In Morocco, a road accident resulting in death is punishable by a prison sentence ranging from 3 months to 5 years, with a fine of 7,500 dhs to 30,000 dhs, and a suspension of the driving license for a period of 1 to 3 years. In the event of an aggravating circumstance, including excess speed over 50 km/h or lack of a driving license, this penalty is doubled, with a suspension of the license from 2 to 4 years. The Highway Code punishes driving without a driving license with a fine of between 2,000 dhs and 4,000 dhs.
