The case involving the alleged sale of a master's diploma by (A.Q.), a professor at Ibn Zohr University in Agadir, has sparked widespread controversy and condemnation. On Tuesday, May 13, the investigating judge at the Marrakech Court of Appeal ordered the professor's detention at Loudaya prison in connection with the case. The accused, who is also a prominent figure in the Constitutional Union Party, had previously filed a lawsuit in 2018 against another professor at the same university. The lawsuit followed a social media post that referenced suspicious practices involving the sale of master's degrees. At the time, the court ruled in favor of the now-accused professor, sentencing the professor behind the post to pay a fine of 30,000 dirhams, including legal costs and enforcement fees. Additionally, the court awarded the plaintiff compensation of 1 million dirhams after he sued for defamation and slander on social media. Following this ruling, public discussion around the suspected diploma sales quieted—until the issue resurfaced in 2021. The controversy was reignited after the arrest of a notary accused of embezzling clients' deposits. During questioning, the notary confessed to having obtained a master's degree from the Faculty of Law at Ibn Zohr University without attending classes or sitting for any exams. His testimony prompted a series of investigations that ultimately led to the arrest of the main suspect: the coordinator of the «Criminal System and Security Governance» master's program at the Faculty of Law. Several other individuals are also implicated in the case but remain at large, including the professor's wife, who is a lawyer, his son, a trainee lawyer, the chief clerk of the Safi Primary Court, and several other legal professionals.
