The swamp of organized corruption within the administration of a number of ports ends with a number of officials in prison.

Agadir 24 | Agadir24

The swamp of organized corruption within the management of a number of Moroccan ports, including the port of Agadir, ended with a number of officials in prison, once morest the backdrop of the conviction of the Criminal Chamber of First Instance in charge of money crimes at the Rabat Court of Appeal, officials who held responsibilities and positions in both the port of Tangier and the M’diq.

The Criminal Chamber of First Instance in charge of money crimes issued a two-year prison sentence once morest the head of the maritime operations department at the port of Tangier, and an effective fine of 20,000 dirhams, on charges of squandering public funds and participating in forging and using public documents.
Media sources reported that the same court convicted six other officials with penalties ranging from two years to one year in prison, including the former head of the Commercial Navigation Authority in Tetouan.

The Moroccan Association of Maritime Officers in the port of Tangier submitted documents regarding what it called “officials committing crimes of squandering public funds.”

In addition, the complaint called on the Public Prosecution to open a judicial investigation into the issue of towing and pilotage in the port of Tangier, which involved wasting public money, through the establishment of a company by people affiliated with the ports, and their conclusion of deals by exploiting influence to obtain suspicious offers, and they are some of the beneficiaries. Of voluntary departure from the ports, and who at the same time established companies, without respecting five-year periods of not working in the port sector.

The complaining party explained that these companies were assigned to maintain tug and pilotage boats, and they extended to other ports such as Safi, Agadir, Jorf Lasfar, and the port connecting to the Strait, without respecting the time period in carrying out the previous tasks following voluntary departure.

Some items were amended, according to the desire of officials, with the help of an official currently working in the port of Tangier, who runs a company indirectly, according to the complaint addressed to the Public Prosecution, and works to employ an unqualified workforce, without training, and without academic certificates to practice the job of captain to drive tugboats. This “represents a clear violation of the law and exposes state property to damage and the risk of environmental pollution.”