Latest news with #Assabah
Ya Biladi
20-06-2025
- Ya Biladi
Fez travel agency owner charged with defrauding couple over Hajj visas
The owner of a travel agency in Fez has been referred to the public prosecutor after allegedly defrauding a couple out of 264,000 dirhams intended for two Hajj visas that were never delivered. The court has postponed the hearing to June 23 to give the accused time to appoint a lawyer and review the case file. The couple filed a complaint with the police, supporting their claim with voice recordings of conversations exchanged via messaging apps, which reportedly confirmed the agreement to arrange their pilgrimage before the suspect disappeared and shut down the agency, according to the newspaper Assabah. An investigation by the Financial and Economic Crimes Unit of the Fez Security Directorate led to the arrest of the suspect, who admitted to receiving the money in installments via bank transfers to his company's account. He blamed the failure to honor the agreement on a Saudi company, claiming it had not fulfilled its end of the deal. The accused also stated that he issued six checks totaling 262,000 dirhams to the couple as a financial guarantee while awaiting the outcome of the dispute.
Ya Biladi
29-05-2025
- Ya Biladi
Kenitra : Scandal over minor's exploitation rocks hotel, five defendants in court
The primary court in Kenitra is set to deliberate today, Friday, on a case involving the assault of a minor at a three-star hotel, with five individuals implicated, including the hotel owner, according to the newspaper Assabah. The case came to light after a public altercation outside the hotel between the minor and a customer who had brought her to a room. A dispute over financial compensation led the girl to scream, drawing the attention of the General Information Services. This prompted the public prosecutor's office to open an investigation, which was carried out by the Public Morality Squad. Investigations revealed that the minor had been drinking alcohol with a young man at a bar inside a hotel in the city center. They later went to the hotel where the assault occurred, continuing to drink—an offense that has also led to charges against the bar manager. The public prosecutor has brought multiple charges against those involved, including operating a location for prostitution, facilitating the involvement of a minor in prostitution, luring a minor, assaulting her, and selling alcohol to Muslim Moroccans. The hotel owner was released on bail set at 100,000 dirhams, while the employee who rented the room without a marriage contract remains in custody. The bar manager was released on bail of 10,000 dirhams. Meanwhile, the minor's companion claims he did not know her true age, saying she lied about it.
Ya Biladi
27-05-2025
- Ya Biladi
Saudi Arabia deports Moroccans attempting pilgrimage without valid Hajj visas
Saudi authorities have detained several Moroccan nationals who violated the Ministry of Hajj's regulations by entering the Kingdom to perform the pilgrimage without an official permit. This crackdown is part of a broader security campaign targeting unauthorized pilgrims. Sources informed Assabah that these Moroccans, who had initially entered Saudi Arabia for Umrah, will face immediate deportation back to Morocco. The campaign, part of the Kingdom's efforts to strictly enforce Hajj regulations, involved extensive checks at security points, Haramain train stations, and holy sites. Violators face fines of over 26,000 Moroccan dirhams, deportation, and bans from re-entering the Kingdom for legally determined periods. These measures reflect Saudi Arabia's commitment to ensuring the safe and organized management of the Hajj season, which welcomes over 1.5 million pilgrims annually. Penalties are severe, including possible imprisonment of up to 15 years, fines of up to 1 million Saudi riyals, and the confiscation of transportation and accommodations used to facilitate these violations.
Ya Biladi
07-04-2025
- Ya Biladi
Senior military nurse detained for alleged rape of minor at Rabat hospital
Last week, the Public Prosecutor at the Rabat Court of Appeal ordered the pre-trial detention of a Royal Armed Forces Senior Sergeant (Adjudant-Chef), who is implicated in a case involving the rape of a minor. The incident occurred at the Mohammed V Military Teaching Hospital in Rabat, where the 14-year-old victim was receiving medical treatment. According to Assabah newspaper, the accused, who was responsible for her care and worked as a chief nurse, lured the minor and sexually assaulted her. Upon learning of the incident, the victim's family turned to the judiciary, where the accused was interrogated on charges related to «luring a minor, sexual harassment, indecent assault without violence, and abuse of power». The investigating judge ordered his detention and transferred him to Tamesna Prison after confronting him with evidence confirming his involvement in the crime. The minor's family, from the city of Errachidia, had taken their daughter to the military hospital for treatment immediately after Eid al-Fitr. It was decided to keep her at the health facility, where the chief nurse exploited his position to sexually harass and later indecently assault her. The first detailed interrogation session for the accused is scheduled for the end of this month, where he will be confronted with the minor in the presence of her father.
Ya Biladi
24-03-2025
- Ya Biladi
Abderrahim Bioui denies links to «Escobar of the Sahara» and drug trafficking
Abderrahim Bioui, brother of the former president of the Oriental region, reaffirmed before the Criminal Chamber of the Casablanca Court of Appeal that he had no connection to Ahmed Benbrahim, also known as the «Escobar of the Sahara». He denied knowing him and refuted any involvement in drug trafficking, declaring, «Traffickers should be sentenced to the death penalty», Assabah reports in its Monday, March 24 edition. According to the newspaper, Bioui also disputed statements made by the Malian suspect to the judicial police, insisting that he had never traveled with his brother and did not know the individuals implicated in the case. He further claimed that his business—his primary source of income—had suffered a 35% loss since his detention. Regarding Saïd Naciri, the former president of Wydad Casablanca, who is also detained in this case, Bioui stated that he had met him only once and was unaware of his identity, explaining that he had no interest in sports. When questioned about five trucks allegedly provided to him by the Malian suspect, Bioui clarified that an analysis of their GPS data by the National Brigade of Judicial Police (BNPJ) showed they had not moved since 2017. He also presented their registration documents to prove their origin, refuting claims that they were of Chinese manufacture. The court also addressed the seizure of a truck carrying 40 tons of cannabis resin. Bioui denied any knowledge of it, asserting that his vehicles were used exclusively for quarry operations. He further explained that metal recovered from dismantled machinery was sold by weight to prevent any fraudulent use. As for the origin of the funds in his possession, he stated that they came from his agricultural and mining activities, citing revenues of 100 million dirhams from agriculture and 20 million from livestock, in addition to profits from his quarries. He maintained that he had all the necessary documents to prove the legality of his assets, prompting the Prosecutor's Office to request their verification, Assabah concludes.
