Moroccan Mayor Monir El Limouri has reactivated his phone after a hours-long outage and made dozens of calls to media representatives on Saturday to deny allegations that he had fled the country due to a controversy surrounding a school in Tangier. El Limouri stated that he had traveled abroad for personal reasons, just like he usually does, without receiving any notification that he was prohibited from leaving or that there was a warrant out for him.
El Limouri's denial comes after reports emerged that he had allegedly fled the country, sparking concerns about his involvement in the controversy surrounding the school in Tangier. The mayor insisted that his trip was a family vacation and had nothing to do with the ongoing judicial case, in which his party, the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), is accused of being involved in electoral irregularities.
According to available information, the judicial authorities have not yet formally charged El Limouri in the case, and the search warrant was issued due to his failure to appear before investigative authorities despite being summoned. El Limouri had previously presented himself to the security services on the day of the incident, where he was heard and presented the PAM's account of the events, which denies any responsibility.
The controversy centers around an incident on September 23, 2026, during the legislative elections, when a person was stopped near a polling station or in the schoolyard carrying a bag containing hundreds of electoral papers. Images and videos also circulated showing white envelopes inside a transparent glass box, sparking allegations of "flagrant fraud." The public prosecutor's office opened a judicial investigation into the matter.
The investigation has led to the arrest of several individuals, including the heads of polling stations and a suspect who works in the education sector. According to the data included in the report, the school had 6,732 registered voters, of whom 2,187 voted, with 375 papers canceled and only 1,812 valid votes counted. The PAM emerged as the leading party in this polling station with 804 votes.
Despite the allegations and concerns, the PAM did not top the results in Tangier-Assilah, coming in second behind the Justice and Development Party. El Limouri emphasized that he is currently outside the country for personal reasons and will return to Morocco on Monday to follow up on the case.
El Limouri's return is expected to shed more light on the controversy and his role in it. The mayor's denial of any wrongdoing and his decision to return to Morocco to face the allegations will likely have significant implications for the ongoing investigation and the PAM's reputation.
Key points
- El Limouri denies fleeing Morocco amid allegations of involvement in electoral irregularities.
- The controversy centers around an incident during the legislative elections in which a person was stopped carrying a bag containing hundreds of electoral papers.
- El Limouri will return to Morocco on Monday to follow up on the case.
