The investigating judge at the Tangier Court of Appeal has started detailed questioning of four defendants held in pretrial detention over suspected election fraud during Morocco's September 23 legislative elections. They were transferred under heavy Royal Gendarmerie escort to the Court of Appeal in central Tangier. The investigation focuses on ballot papers found at Al Qods School on election day in the Tangier-Assilah constituency.
The first hearings involved the president and deputy president of one polling station at Al Qods School. Both are being prosecuted for alleged violations involving the ballots. The judge then questioned the president and deputy president of a second polling station. A direct confrontation between the four defendants is expected as part of the investigation.
The investigation includes evidence from technical examinations and surveillance footage. An accountant allegedly marked a box on ballot papers at the request of his employer. Surveillance footage from a hotel showed suspects inside one of the hotel's apartments before they left. A technical analysis of one suspect's phone revealed communications with two individuals currently in pretrial detention.
Tangier Mayor Mounir Laymouri, a member of the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), is among the defendants. He was placed in pretrial detention after appearing before the investigating judge. Laymouri was arrested at Tangier Ibn Battouta International Airport after returning from Malaga, Spain, following a national search warrant.
Laymouri faces charges including violating voting procedures, participating in the falsification of a public document, and alleged bribery. He denied fleeing, stating his trip to Spain was planned in advance and unrelated to the judicial developments in Tangier. The questioning and possible confrontations involving the eight defendants aim to provide additional information for the investigation.
The prosecutor's office is closely monitoring the investigation and has reaffirmed its commitment to respecting due process and the law. Once the investigative sessions are completed, the judge will determine the next steps in the case and set a date for the trial. The hearings are being held behind closed doors.
The case involves eight defendants, including Laymouri, the owner of a tourist apartment building, the general accountant of a company owned by the mayor, and a school supervisor. The investigation is ongoing, and the prosecutor's office will submit necessary legal requests while ensuring due process.
Key points
- The investigation centers on ballot papers discovered at Al Qods School on election day.
- Tangier Mayor Mounir Laymouri is among the defendants in the case.
- The prosecutor's office is committed to closely monitoring the investigation and respecting due process.
