Interior Ministry Refers Safi Corruption Allegations to Judiciary

The ministry said the decision follows a video in which a Lamsabih council member alleged that the former Safi governor demanded a bribe from a contractor to approve a road project.

Rabat – The Moroccan Ministry of the Interior announced on Tuesday that it had referred a case to the presidency of the public prosecution, requesting the opening of a judicial investigation following corruption allegations involving the former governor of Safi province.

In a statement, the ministry said that the move comes after a video circulated on social media showing a member of the communal council of Lamsabih, in Safi province, claiming that a local contractor told him the former governor had demanded a bribe in exchange for authorizing the construction of a road in the commune.

According to the ministry, the General Inspectorate of Territorial Administration (IGAT) launched a thorough administrative investigation last week to examine the matter.

The inspection mission interviewed all key parties involved, including the former governor and the local official who made the allegations, also a member of the Moroccan Association for the Protection of Public Funds.

Based on the findings of this administrative investigation, the Interior Ministry decided to refer the case to the presidency of the public prosecution to open a judicial inquiry, the statement added.

The controversy first erupted in August after the Association for the Protection of Public Funds raised concerns over alleged irregularities in Safi’s local governance.

The case emerges at a time when anti-corruption demands are gaining prominence across Morocco, as citizens, particularly younger generations, voice frustration over entrenched impunity and misuse of public funds.

The GenZ212 protest movement, which has been organizing peaceful demonstrations in several cities since mid-September, has made the fight against corruption one of its central demands, alongside calls for improved education, healthcare, and social justice.

Protesters argue that corruption at the local and national levels continues to undermine development and public trust, urging authorities to hold officials accountable regardless of rank or affiliation.