According to Al Akhbar newspaper, the investigative judge for financial crimes at the Rabat Court of Appeal has ordered the freezing of assets and bank accounts belonging to several elected officials, engineers, and technicians from the regional and municipal councils of Sidi Kacem. The decision comes as part of a judicial probe into allegations that a publicly funded reception and training center was misappropriated and turned into a private hotel. The National Brigade of Judicial Police has been tasked with cataloging the funds, properties, and revenues linked to the case and providing the court with detailed bank records of the suspects. The asset freeze follows the placement of eight individuals under judicial supervision, alongside the confiscation of their passports. Detailed hearings are scheduled between October 14 and 20. The suspects face charges of embezzlement and squandering of public funds, forgery, and unauthorized construction on state land. Among those implicated are Benaïssa Benzaroual, president of the regional council, his brother Saad Benzaroual, former council president Abdelilah Ouaissa, the current president of the municipal council, and Meki Zizi, former president of the Western region, along with several engineers and technicians. Investigations revealed that the contested project originated from a 2016 partnership agreement signed under the National Initiative for Human Development (INDH). The project aimed to create a social center and provide training in social and development fields. However, inquiries uncovered irregularities in contract management between 2018 and 2022, including deals approved despite objections from the project review committee. The committee had denied permits due to a lack of documentation proving land ownership and because part of the site encroached on public and private property. Documents show that construction was carried out without the required legal permits or approval from the Directorate of State Properties, in clear violation of urban planning laws. Investigators found that the former regional council president proceeded with the project despite the committee's rejection, and that the supervising architect continued work using unapproved blueprints. Payments were authorized based on documents that did not reflect the project's legal status. The investigation further concluded that the municipal council president issued a building permit and a compliance certificate based on falsified information, enabling the transformation of the project from a public social center into a commercial hotel. Additionally, local and regional officials granted licenses for commercial activities within the facility without adhering to legal procedures or obtaining the necessary approvals, acts that constitute serious administrative and legal violations, leading to the misappropriation of public funds and the fraudulent use of official documents.
