By Amal El Attaq
Rabat – Yesterday, based on an ‘official’ document, many news outlets reported that former Moroccan Head of Government Abdelilah Benkirane monthly receives an “additional pension.”
The document indicated that Benkirane receives an exceptional pension of 7 million centimes (MAD 70,000) at the end of each month as a supplementary pension on top of the regular civilian pension he receives.
The document, called a dahir, includes three items: The first mentions the pension amount. The second says that “the exceptional pension is given at the end of each month as a supplementary pension for the civil pension he receives.” The item added that the pension comes out of the government budget.
Abdelilah Benkirane denied receiving the additional pension. He said he only received a pension as a parliamentarian which he began collecting after King Mohammed VI appointed him as head of government.
On a Facebook Live video, he said, “This is fake news, the only pension I receive now is the exceptional one under instructions from King Mohammed VI, as I explained before,” said Abdelilah Benkirane. He commented the exceptional pension pleased him.
“I challenge them to bring evidences for this, but I am sure they will not find, and this requires an apology,” added Benkirane.
Speaking in a video last night, Benkirane promised to leave the country if there was evidence proving he gets an additional pension. “These are just lies, and I am challenging them to bring any evidences. If they do so, I promise to leave the country definitely,” said Benkirane.
Benkirane threatened that he would resort to the judicial system and ended his video asking the head of the Court of Auditors, Driss Jettou, to investigate his assets and “if anything is found, then I will ask him to expose me in front of public.” he said.
After receiving criticism on social media last month, Benkirane admitted getting a pension estimated at MAD 70,000 monthly under instructions from King Mohammed VI. The King granted the pension when he heard Benkirane had financial problems.
