Moroccan Army Opens judicial investigation into cases of alleged corruption
A judicial investigation was opened following revelations on alleged corruption in relation to procurement contacts between 2006 and 2012, said Friday the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces ( FAR) in a statement.
All persons involved in this case, including a former officer having exercised in the military health service, will be investigated, said the statement.
The probe aims to establish the precise facts of these cases and this in accordance with the regulatory and judicial provisions in force, the statement added.
King Mohammed VI has repeatedly expressed his unwavering resolve to combat corruption and underlined that this scourge undermines the public trust and investors’ confidence.
When he appointed mid-December a new chief of the national authority for probity, prevention and fight against corruption, the Monarch stressed the importance he grants to this issue, which has an economic cost, puts a strain on the purchasing power of citizens, and weakens democracy and the rule of law.
The King also underlined “its impact on services for citizens, or the negative repercussions of this plague on the different sectors of the national economy and the achievement of a sustainable and balanced development.”
On this occasion, the Sovereign urged the new president of the anti-corruption watchdog to endeavor for the optimal implementation of the missions entrusted by the Constitution to this national body, tasked with taking initiatives, coordinating, monitoring and carrying out anti-corruption policies.
The national authority for probity, prevention and fight against corruption also seeks to streamline public life, uphold the principles of good governance, and promote public service culture and the values of responsible citizenship.
The King also stressed the need for coordination, cooperation and pooling efforts with concerned national bodies, each in its field of expertise, for a collective mobilization, use of all tools of awareness-raising and legal means in order to combat this scourge in all its aspects, and apply the law against offenders.
Morocco, which ratified the UN Convention against Corruption in 2007 and aligned its legislation with international standards, adopted in 2015 a national strategy against corruption.
Spanning over a 10-year period, this strategy aims to bolster citizens’ trust, promote integrity, improve the business environment and enhance the Kingdom’s international standing.
Part of the strategy to fight corruption, the public prosecutor set up in May last year a toll-free phone number to denounce acts of corruption or blackmail, as these denunciations can reinforce the other mechanisms already in place.
