Join on WhatsApp
Join on Telegram
Rabat – Moroccan police have arrested a suspect in the city of Sale for allegedly defrauding solidarity convoy organizers in an attempt to misappropriate humanitarian aid meant for the earthquake victims.
Following investigations and research carried out in close coordination with the General Directorate of National Territorial Surveillance (DGST), the police will verify the validity of the accusations, and reveal the extent of the suspect’s active involvement in what is alleged.
The arrest comes after the State Authority of the Judicial Police in Agadir opened a judicial investigation on September 15 under the supervision of the Public Prosecution to verify the authenticity of the statements attached to a video circulating on social media.
The video indicated that a person had defrauded some organizers of solidarity convoys meant for the earthquake victims in the Taroudant province.
The suspect persuaded the organizers to let him volunteer to deliver aid to the remote affected areas, before proceeding to seize the aid and dispose of it.
The case is part of the ongoing efforts made by Moroccan authorities to counter the exploitation of aid meant for the earthquake survivors.
Amid the continued attention on Moroccans’ solidarity campaigns following the deadly earthquake, some have called out tendencies to exploit the victims or the aid meant for them.
On Thursday, elements of the Prefectural Criminal Investigation Department in Settat, a small city near Casablanca, arrested a driver in his commercial vehicle suspected of attempting to divert a quantity of consumer goods donated as part of the solidarity campaign.
Read also: Morocco Arrests 3 Suspects for Misappropriation of Humanitarian Aid for Earthquake Victims
