Last Thursday, the Financial Crimes Primary Chamber at the Rabat Court of Appeal delivered its verdict in the case involving the «Tetouan Court of Appeal Judge» and his associates. The case concerns ten defendants, including a former judge, two lawyers, and several other individuals. Three of them are currently in custody, while the others, including the main defendant's two sons, were released on bail. Sentences ranged from full acquittal to three years of effective imprisonment, with total fines approaching 20 million dirhams. According to the newspaper Al Akhbar, the main defendant, a former judge, was sentenced to three years in prison and fined 300,000 dirhams. Two lawyers from the Tetouan Bar received a combined sentence of four years and were fined 3.7 million dirhams. Additional sentences were handed down to a consultant judge in Casablanca, a contractor, and a lawyer from the Casablanca Bar, each receiving two-year sentences, of which one year is to be served, along with varying fines. The judge's two sons, one a notary and the other a lawyer with the El Jadida Bar, were handed two-year suspended sentences. Another lawyer was sentenced to a six-month suspended sentence. A judicial delegate from the Al Hoceima Court of Appeal was fully acquitted. The case was brought to light in 2023 after serious leaks were made by the judge's wife, who accused him and his associates of accepting bribes and manipulating court rulings. Investigations began following her submission of audio recordings revealing corruption within the Tetouan Court of Appeal. She alleged that verdicts were being sold and that judicial mediation was being exploited. The National Brigade of Judicial Police and the Public Prosecution launched an in-depth investigation, backed by technical analysis and financial inquiries, which ultimately led to the arrest of the main judge and several lawyers. Others, including the judge's daughter and son, both legal professionals, were prosecuted while out on bail.
