فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
Casablanca
The Criminal Chamber for Financial Crimes at the Casablanca Court of Appeal has issued its final verdicts in what has become known as the “Health Ministry Contracts Manipulation Case,” involving 28 defendants including officials and contractors.
The court, presided over by Counselor Ali Torchi, handed down sentences ranging from suspended prison terms to hefty fines. The list of those convicted includes engineers, a pharmacist, regional health directors, heads of services and departments, as well as a former Ministry of Health employee and some pharmaceutical company managers.
According to “Al Ahdath Al Maghribia” newspaper, the sentences ranged from one year suspended to 8 years of imprisonment, with fines between 5,000 and 100,000 dirhams, including for those who were tried while out on bail.
Although the charge of “forming a criminal gang” was dropped against the defendants, the court found them guilty of “facilitating and obtaining public contracts in previous years related to the supply and acquisition of medical equipment for public sector hospitals, in exchange for commissions, cash payments, and benefits in kind.”
In March 2022, the National Office for Combating Economic and Financial Crime, part of the National Judicial Police Brigade (BNPJ), had referred 31 individuals to justice, including 18 health sector officials and 13 contractors and employees, suspected of involvement in embezzlement and squandering of public funds.
This case came following a complaint filed by the Ministry of Health in 2019. The investigation conducted by the BNPJ revealed large sums of money in dirhams seized from two engineers working in the health sector, believed to have been received as bribes. Additionally, suspicious public contracts were audited, and judicial orders were executed to seize properties and freeze suspicious funds and assets.
This case reflects the efforts being made to combat corruption in the public sector and emphasizes the importance of transparency and integrity in managing public resources.
