Rabat – Sefrou’s court of first instance on Wednesday postponed a ruling on Mustapha Lakhsem’s case for two months, pending the former kickboxing world champion’s presentation of evidence to back up his allegations against Imouzzer’s administrative officials.
Following today’s court hearing, Lakhsem’s attorney, Omar Halaoui, told Moroccan media that his client will no longer post bail because he has been “fully released” and is “free.”
“We are all aware that Mustapha Lakhsem has done nothing but speak the truth,” Halaoui stressed.
The former athlete-turned mayor was in court today for suggesting in a recent interview that some local officials in Imouzzer are corrupt and responsible for the town’s underdevelopment.
During the interview with Moroccan journalist and activist Hamid El Mahdaoui, Lakhasem said that he had written numerous letters to the local governor about officials’ corruption and mismanagement of the town’s resources, but that the local authorities ultimately took no action to address his concerns.
Lakhsem’s comments landed him in hot water, as Imouzzer Kandar – a town in the Sefrou Province in Morocco’s Fes-Meknes region – and Sefrou’s local governors filed a complaint against him.
Following the complaint by local authorities, Sefrou’s court of first instance ruled on Monday, April 3, that Lakhsem should pay a MAD 50,000 bail.
Lakhsem rejected the court’s verdict, stressing that he will not pay the bail because he did not commit any crime.
Many citizens gathered outside Sefrou’s court and cheered Lakhsem on as soon as they heard today’s court decision, showing their strong support for the former kickboxing world champion.
Morocco’s Popular Movement Party (MP) issued a communique yesterday in which it expressed its pride and satisfaction with Lakhsem and his sense of patriotism, while also pledging to provide him with legal assistance.
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