Morocco Court Postpones Hearing in "Forged Invoice" Fraud Case

A court in Fez, Morocco, has postponed a hearing in a significant case involving alleged forgery and tax fraud, dubbed the "phantom and forged invoice" network. The trial, which concerns Abdelilah Baziiz, the president of the Taza Regional Council, along with 11 other individuals including contractors, is now scheduled for July 24.

In a recent development, the court decided to grant Rachid Baziiz temporary release on bail of 10,000 Moroccan dirhams, provided he is not held for other reasons. However, requests for temporary release from four other defendants were denied, meaning they will remain in custody. This follows earlier decisions to grant temporary release to other individuals involved in the same case.

The case has garnered considerable local and national attention since April. During the latest session, the defendants insisted on the presence of their legal counsel, while the public prosecutor requested time to respond to procedural objections. This situation is occurring against the backdrop of a nationwide lawyers' strike, now in its fifth week.

Initially, the public prosecutor's office in Fez charged 12 defendants, including the Taza Regional Council president. The charges stem from complaints filed by 12 victims and statements from eight witnesses. The investigation and prosecution have been ongoing since April 10. The charges against the regional council president include fraud, forgery of private and commercial documents, creating false certificates, and tax evasion through the use of fictitious invoices. Other defendants face charges such as fraud, forgery, and complicity in forgery and tax evasion.