Tangier mayor's interrogation in ballot papers case postponed to 3 November
An investigating judge at Tangier Court of Appeal has postponed the detailed interrogation of the city's mayor Munir Lamouroui to 3 November in a case concerning election ballot papers.
Postponement of interrogation of Tangier mayor Munir Lamouroui in electoral fraud case
An investigating judge at Tangier Court of Appeal has postponed the detailed interrogation of Munir Lamouroui, mayor of Tangier and regional official in the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), to 3 November, in a case concerning election ballot papers, according to sources learned by Hespress.
Lamouroui appeared before the court on Tuesday, but the judge refrained from interrogating him following acceptance of the adjournment request submitted by his defence, with 3 November set as the new date for interrogation, according to the same sources.
The defence relied on the defendant's health condition, affirming that it prevented him from answering fully the investigating judge's questions in a case that has attracted considerable public attention. Hespress sources indicated deterioration in Lamouroui's health condition in recent days whilst continuing to be held in preventative detention, and reference was made to his medical history related to high blood pressure.
The investigating judge directed charges at him including obstruction of voting procedures with the aim of influencing election results or attempting to do so, participation in falsifying an official document, and bribery through offer, promise and gift with the aim of achieving a specific purpose.
According to Hespress sources, these charges were based on article 58 of organic law number 27.11 relating to the Chamber of Deputies, alongside articles 352, 353, 251 and 129 of the Moroccan criminal code. Under articles 152 and 153 of the criminal procedure code, the judge issued an order placing Lamouroui in police custody.
The Tangier mayor had been placed in preventative detention on 2 October, following approximately 72 hours of police custody, following his arrest at Tangier Ibn Battuta Airport upon arrival from the Spanish city of Málaga, in implementation of a national search notice related to the case.
The roots of the investigation go back to polling day on 23 September, when a person was detained in possession of a bag containing ballot papers for a polling station at Al-Quds school in the Casablanca district of Tangier. Following this, investigators focused on studying the source of these papers and the circumstances of their removal from and return to the polling station.
The investigation threads led to a hotel establishment in Tangier, where the available evidence linked Lamouroui to a number of other persons. Technical examinations also resulted in recovery of deleted surveillance footage and analysis of mobile phones, communications and seized items. The recovered footage and technical analyses proved a connection between two bags found inside the hotel and the two bags seized in the context of the case, whilst the investigation revealed communications between Lamouroui and other persons under investigation before and during polling day.
These allegations remain subject to ongoing judicial proceedings.
Source: Hespress