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Rabat – Casablanca’s Court of Appeal delivered last night its verdict in the scandal surrounding the disappearance of tickets intended for Moroccan football fans during the Morocco-France match in the 2022 Qatar World Cup semi-final.
The court sentenced the president of the Olympique Safi football club Mohamed El Haidaoui to eight months in prison, reducing it from the 18-month sentence he initially received.
Meanwhile, the court acquitted journalist and Radio Mars host Adel El Omari of charges related to his alleged involvement in fraud regarding the ticket scandal. However, it maintained the initially imposed fine of MAD 10,000 against El Omari.
The initial ruling, issued last August, had sentenced El Omari to 10 months in prison and a financial penalty.
El Haidaoui and El Omari were charged with attempted fraud and selling World Cup tickets at inflated prices on the black market.
The scandal erupted in December 2022 when Moroccan fans faced difficulties in finding tickets for the Morocco-France semi-final clash after the Moroccan Royal Football Federation (FRMF) pledged to give away 13,000 free tickets for fans to attend the game.
Read also: Moroccan Federation Vows to ‘End Career’ of Those Responsible for World Cup Tickets Fiasco
The suspicious “disappearance” of tickets led to widespread controversy, triggering frustration among Moroccan supporters who flew to Qatar to attend the match just to not be able to obtain tickets.
El Haidaoui, a senior member of FRMF, was directly linked to the case once the scandal came to light. However, he maintained his innocence and denied any involvement during his trial.
The Moroccan Constitutional Court decided on Tuesday to strip El Haidaoui, who was also an elected representative from the local electoral district of Safi in the Safi province, from his membership in the House of Representatives.
The decision came after El Haidaoi was convicted of issuing checks without sufficient funds, resulting in a three-month suspended prison sentence and a fine of MAD 30,000 (Over $3,000), payable immediately.
