The financial crimes chamber in Casablanca sentenced several officials on Saturday in an appeal related to irregularities in the Ministry of Health’s procurement processes, according to well-informed sources.
18 individuals, all in custody, received prison sentences ranging from three to eight years. The main accused, Mohammed Hammad, was sentenced to eight years in prison, while the others faced sentences between three and six years, along with fines ranging from 50,000 to 800,000 MAD.
The court acquitted all defendants of charges related to forming a criminal organization. The case, which emerged in 2023, involves engineers, a pharmacist, regional health directors, service heads, a former ministry official, and representatives from pharmaceutical companies.
The public prosecutor charged the convicts with forming a criminal organization, corruption, misappropriation of public funds, falsification of official documents, use of forgeries, destruction of public documents hindering judicial evidence, incitement to commit offenses, and violation of professional secrecy.