فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
Rabat – Agencies
Oversight reports issued by the General Inspectorate of Territorial Administration at the Ministry of Interior, described as “serious,” have raised widespread concern within administrative and judicial circles, after revealing grave violations including urban planning breaches, manipulation of public facilities, and suspicious contracts, in which presidents of communal councils and influential elected officials are suspected of being involved. These reports, originating from provinces and prefectures in the Casablanca-Settat, Rabat-Salé-Kenitra, Fez-Meknes, and Beni Mellal-Khenifra regions, focus on abuse of influence to obtain exceptional licenses and illegal transfers of public properties, threatening the financial balance of communities and requiring urgent disciplinary and judicial measures.
Urban Planning Violations and Infrastructure Manipulation
The reports highlighted large-scale urban planning violations in residential subdivisions owned by the elected officials themselves, where manipulations were recorded in connecting networks to roads, electricity, and drinking water, with neglect of basic facilities despite spending huge sums. In the Berrechid and Mediouna provinces in the suburbs of Casablanca, communities topped the list of suspicious investments, as investigations proved that presidents exploited their positions to obtain preferential treatment in licenses for residential and industrial subdivisions. Complaints from owners of neighboring subdivisions, included in these reports, also revealed that public facilities seized more than 80% of their land in some cases, with grievances addressed to the office of the President of the Supreme Audit Court from communities in Mediouna province.
The reports indicated cases of extortion of investors and exchange of benefits between elected officials in real estate privileges, particularly in the transfer of land on which social housing neighborhoods were built for slum dwellers, which later turned into villa areas in the suburbs of the economic capital. These irregularities, which affected council presidents and advisors, led to suspension decisions for some of them, with their files referred to administrative courts for removal.
Fictitious Contracts and Financial Embezzlement
On the financial side, the reports documented manipulations in managing community budgets, taking the form of fictitious tenders classified as embezzlement, requiring referral to the judiciary. Among the most prominent violations was elected officials establishing their own private companies to execute communal projects, leading to the recording of hundreds of suspicious contracts that passed through illegal means. Monopolization by companies linked to community presidents of most equipment, construction, and supply contracts was also recorded, with unjustified increases in service costs, threatening local financial balances. These violations were covered up by not appointing members of bid opening committees, not retaining competitors’ files, and the absence of achievement and procurement schedules.
According to reports from the General Directorate of Territorial Communities, the number of judicial proceedings reached 302 cases distributed among 52 presidents, 57 deputies, 124 members, and 69 former presidents, with 8 communal councils dissolved due to damage to community interests. The Directorate also received 291 complaints related to financial, administrative, and urban planning violations, and linking private interests to communities.
Unprecedented Oversight Campaign and Its Implications
Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit launched a wide-ranging oversight campaign that referred 18 reports to the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Supreme Audit Court, and 19 files to administrative courts to remove elected officials, after detecting violations in urban planning, income management, and expenditures. The operations resulted in 84 disciplinary measures affecting presidents and administrative officials. The National Gendarmerie Brigade is also deepening its investigations with removed presidents regarding financial irregularities and extortion of contractors.
These developments are part of local anti-corruption efforts, emphasized by the Royal vision to strengthen governance and transparency in territorial administration. They are expected to lead to structural reforms, including strengthening internal oversight and reviewing licensing mechanisms, to ensure protection of public funds and restore citizens’ trust in elected institutions.
