فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
On Wednesday, Minister of Justice Abdellatif Ouahbi announced the preparation of a list of associations whose officials are suspected of being involved in money laundering operations. This came during the minister’s response to objections from members of the Justice and Legislation Committee in the House of Representatives, as part of discussions on draft law 03.23, which amends and supplements law 22.01 related to the Code of Criminal Procedure.
In his remarks, Ouahbi stated, “With the exception of Transparency, with whom we have a governmental dispute but no specific observations, we are currently preparing a list that will be referred to the public prosecutor if necessary.” The minister added, “Those who own villas and cars without disclosing their sources of income… isn’t that money laundering?”
Ouahbi emphasized the need for individuals whose tax declarations do not match their assets to provide clear justifications for the sources of their funds and real estate purchases. He also pointed out that the draft penal code includes measures to monitor individuals’ declarations and take legal action in cases of false declarations.
The minister questioned the best approach to combating corruption, asking, “Should we handle this battle in a Stalinist manner, arresting everyone before searching for the innocent? Or should we follow a legal approach that respects the presumption of innocence until guilt is proven?”
It is worth noting that Morocco dropped one place in the Corruption Perceptions Index issued by Transparency International, whose report was published on February 11. Morocco scored 37 out of 100, ranking 99th globally. Behind this slight decline lies a situation that has been worsening year after year, especially in the post-COVID-19 era.
