Member of Morocco’s Ruling Party Rachid Fayek Faces Corruption Charges

Rabat – Brothers Rachid El Fayek and Jaouad El Fayek of the National Rally of Independents (RNI) party are set to face trial on Tuesday for charges including corruption, and embezzlement of public money, among others.

The trial comes a week after Morocco’s ruling party – the RNI – announced they had suspended the El Fayek brothers’ membership.

Rachid El Fayek, an MP and president of the “Oulad Tayib” prefecture (a small town in Fes) first came to the spotlight on March 25, when news of his arrest resurfaced.

On Friday, March 25, Morocco’s public attorney in Fes issued an arrest warrant for six people under investigation for misusing public resources, taking bribes, issuing official documents, and constructing housing units in hereditary lands belonging to private entities.

The arrest warrant extended to Rachid El Fayek and his brother Jaouad El Fayek, president of the city council of Fes, a member of the committee of hereditary lands in Oulad Tayib, a corporate manager, a public official in charge of housing.

The six other suspects will remain under police custody at the “Bourkays” prison awaiting trial. Another nine suspects are to be released under investigation with a potential fine ranging between MAD 5,000 ($500) and MAD 10,000 ($1,000).

Criminal charges also extended to exploitation, and misuse of power, prompting the public attorney to transfer the case to the criminal division for financial crimes, according to news reports.

Investigations leading to the arrests started back in 2018 when three citizens from the Oulad Tayib commune filed a lawsuit against Rachi El Fayek accusing him of confiscating public-owned land destined for the construction of a public high school, according to local news reports.

“Children in the Oulad Tayib commune have to go all the way to Fez to finish high school studies because there are no high schools here,” a source local told reporters.

A 2014 report from Morocco’s commission for accountability had already pointed out a number of anomalies in the management of the rural commune.

The report, quoted during the initial hearing at the public prosecutor’s office, indicates that despite witnessing intensive construction activities, the Oulad Tayib commune lacks basic public facilities.

Under the watch of Rachid and Jaouad El Fayek, tribal pieces of land belonging to private entities were given over to construction companies under official licenses.

The long list of anomalies also includes issuing construction licenses for the building of housing units on land not meant for such a purpose, the report indicates.

Oulad Tayib commune has equally authorized a number of public facilities that do not conform to regulations.

The anomalies extend to taxes, as the rural commune taxes construction for a single-family housing unit at the same low rate as construction work for apartment buildings.

One daring allegation against the Fayik brothers indicates that they inform locals that properties are to be used by the commune for the construction of public facilities. And after procuring land at a low price, the brothers would then rent the property to private entities.

Allegations against Fayek indicate that the suspect used to ask for bribes to issue construction licenses. The brides range between MAD 10,000 ($1,000) to 20,000 ($2,000).

All entrepreneurs questioned by the police said they had been asked for a bribe to procure official licenses, according to news reports.