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Rabat – Casablanca’s Court of Appeal on Thursday decided to postpone to May 4 the trial of Moroccan plastic Surgeon El Hassan Tazi, who is involved in a case of fraud and human trafficking.
The first session of the trial took place today via video conference, allowing the eight people involved in the case to attend the session from the local prison of Ain Sebaa in Casablanca, the National Company of Radio and Television (SNRT) has reported.
The suspects include Tazi, his wife, and a number of employees from his clinic. During the session, the suspects’ defense requested the provisional release of the defendants, citing their “physical and mental health,” as well as the working conditions of the clinic staff.
The defense referred to Article 161 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which stipulates that suspects must respect provisional release conditions determined by the judge, which could include house arrest or not leaving certain territorial boundaries.
But the prosecution rejected the defense’s request, saying that the working conditions of the clinic staff were an “unacceptable” justification to grant the defendants provisional release.
Meanwhile, the court agreed to the defense’s request to hold a face-to-face hearing on May 4 rather than a virtual one.
Tazi and the other defendants are facing charges of involvement in creating a criminal network aimed at collecting money from benefactors. They are accused of embezzling charity money by falsifying documents and inflating hospitalization bills for poor patients treated at the clinic.
Read also: Surgeon El Hassan Tazi Responds to Alleged Involvement in Medical Fraud Scandal
