Latest news with #IbnZohrUniversity
Morocco World
21-07-2025
- Morocco World
Agadir Court Convicts Professor of Defamation Over Master's Degree Scandal
Rabat – The primary court in Agadir on Monday issued its ruling in the defamation case against university professor Ahmed Qilich , who is currently held in pre-trial detention at Oudaya prison in Marrakech. Qilich was facing charges brought by a fellow professor at the Faculty of Legal, Economic, and Social Sciences at Ibn Zohr University, following a complaint filed in 2022. The colleague, head of the private law department, accused him of defamation and insult during an official meeting, after she refused to endorse his master's program file, citing administrative irregularities. In its verdict on the criminal charges, the court acquitted Qilich of the offenses of issuing threats and insulting public officials. But it found him guilty of defaming a woman based on her gender and ordered him to pay a fine of MAD 50,000, in addition to covering court costs and minimum enforcement fees. On the civil side, the court ruled that Qilich must also pay symbolic damages of one dirham to the plaintiff while rejecting the rest of her civil claims. This ruling comes as Qilich remains in detention pending trial in a separate and highly publicized case involving allegations of selling master's degrees and certificates for money—a scandal that has sparked widespread debate in academic and public circles. The detention order in the second case was issued by the investigating judge for financial crimes at the Marrakech Court of Appeals, following an investigation by the National Judicial Police Brigade. According to reports, several other individuals are also involved in the case and have appeared before the King's Attorney General at the same court. This is not the first time such a university scandal has made headlines in Morocco. The incident brings to the surface the ' Sex for Grades ' scandal from 2022. In this case, several Hassan I University professors were arrested in Settat, found guilty of sexually harassing female students in exchange for academic incentives. Tags: ahmed Qilichdiploma scandalIbn Zohr University
Morocco World
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Ibn Zohr President Dismissed Over Master's Degree Scandal
Doha – Abdelaziz Bendou has been relieved of his duties as president of Ibn Zohr University in Agadir following a major corruption scandal involving the sale of master's degrees. According to multiple converging reports, the Minister of Higher Education, Azzedine El Midaoui, made the decision on Tuesday. The dismissal comes after an investigation into what has become known in media circles as the 'Master's Degree Scandal' or 'Kilch Master's,' involving fraudulent enrollment in master's programs at the university's Faculty of Law. The scandal erupted when authorities arrested a university professor suspected of illegally registering several employees and lawyers in a master's program without following proper regulations, in exchange for bribes. The professor is currently being held at the Oudaya prison in Marrakech while the investigation continues. Following the initial revelations, the Minister of Higher Education summoned both the university president and the dean of the Faculty of Law to Rabat for questioning. This meeting was part of a broader effort to investigate the circumstances surrounding the alleged sale of university certificates. El Midaoui then dispatched a central inspection committee to the university. Based on the committee's findings, the minister decided to dismiss Bendou, who had been serving as president since 2020. As an interim measure, Abderrahmane Amsidder, the current director of the Higher School of Education and Training (ESEF) in Agadir, has been appointed as acting president and financial officer of the university effective Wednesday. He will serve in this capacity until a new president is officially appointed. In an official letter addressed to Amsidder, Minister El Midaoui stated: 'To maintain the normal operation of Ibn Zohr University in Agadir, I am informing you that you have been appointed as acting president of the university and its financial officer starting Wednesday, June 11, 2025, until a new president is appointed. I wish you success in your duties.' The investigation has also implicated several other individuals, including the professor's wife who works as a lawyer in Agadir, the head clerk at the Court of First Instance in Safi, his son who is a trainee lawyer, and several other lawyers. These individuals are being investigated while remaining free, though their passports have been confiscated and they are banned from leaving the country. This case represents one of the most serious corruption scandals in Morocco's higher education sector in recent years, severely damaging the reputation of Ibn Zohr University, one of the country's largest academic institutions. It comes only three years after the notorious 'Sex for Grades' scandal of 2022, when several professors at Hassan I University in Settat were arrested and convicted of sexually harassing female students in exchange for academic incentives. Sources close to the case indicate that further decisions related to this file may be forthcoming as investigations continue under the supervision of the competent public prosecutor's office. Tags: Degree fraudIbn Zohr Universitymoroccan university
Morocco World
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Morocco's Anti-Corruption Body Takes Legal Action in Diploma Fraud Case
Rabat – Morocco's National Authority for Probity, Prevention, and the Fight Against Corruption has announced that it asked the State's Legal Representative to represent the state in a high-profile case surrounding selling fraudulent university degrees. The case involves a significant academic corruption scandal in Agadir, where a law professor at Ibn Zohr University is accused of selling university degrees. The professor allegedly manipulated official records to issue fake diplomas to individuals seeking employment opportunities. According to a statement released by the anti-corruption body, this step was taken under Article 36 of Law 46.19. The Authority asked the Legal Representative to file civil claims on behalf of the Moroccan state, while also reserving its right to take further action if necessary. The Legal Representative has accepted the request. The case involves serious allegations of corruption, including the creation of a criminal group that allegedly sold fake university diplomas. The charges include forgery of official documents, abuse of power, fraud, and misuse of public funds. The Authority said it learned about the issue through reports of suspicious activities that, if proven true, could be considered corruption crimes. It then began looking into the matter but later stepped back from the criminal part of the case as it is already being handled by the courts. This decision follows Article 7 of Law 46.19, which prevents the Authority from investigating cases that are in the hands of the judiciary. One university professor has been arrested and is currently in custody at Oudaïa prison, based on a decision by the investigating judge at the Marrakech Court of Appeal. Other suspects are being prosecuted while free, but their passports have been seized to prevent them from fleeing the country. The case has attracted widespread attention due to its implications for the credibility of Morocco's higher education system and the employment sector. Tags: Agadirdiploma fraudfake university diploma
Morocco World
23-05-2025
- Morocco World
Morocco Introduces Commission to Investigate Diploma Trafficking Scandal in Agadir
Rabat – The Ministry of Higher Education has announced a central inspection commission, dispatching it to the Ibn Zohr University in Agadir to investigate a diploma trafficking controversy that made headlines recently in the country. According to Moroccan news outlet Le360, the ministry deployed the commission on Wednesday to audit the entire process of diploma issuance. The new development came after converging reports indicated last week that the Marrakech Appeal Court had ordered the arrest of a university professor in Agadir. This came following an investigation into the professor's involvement in a master's degree trafficking scandal. According to reports, the arrest order came after allegations that the professor was selling university diplomas and certificates for money. Several other suspects are reportedly involved and were questioned about the case. Ahmed Kailech, also a law professor, is reported to have been at the heart of the case as he served as the coordinator of the master's program in Penal System and Security Governance. An individual who had been sentenced to five years in prison for purchasing his diploma uncovered the involvement of the professor. Investigators notably 'questioned the dean, several faculty members, and administrative staff… to uncover any irregularities in the recruitment and evaluation processes,' Le360 reported, noting that while the inquiry focuses on the law faculty, the commission has not ruled out expanding the probe into other departments within the university. Several previous reports have highlighted similar crimes. In 2017, a report by the newspaper Akhbar Al Yaoum quoted a draft report by the court of auditors as indicating that three Moroccan universities were linked to a diploma trafficking scheme in 2016 in the cities of Rabat, Tangier, Tetouan, and Settat.
Ya Biladi
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Ouahbi reveals past deal between accused professor and ex-Minister of Justice
During a parliamentary session held on Tuesday to discuss Bill No. 03.23—which amends and supplements Law No. 22.01 on criminal procedure—Minister of Justice Abdellatif Ouahbi brought up a controversial case involving the scandal over the sale of master's degrees at Ibn Zohr University in Agadir. Ouahbi revealed that the university professor accused in the case had previously signed a partnership agreement with a former Minister of Justice as part of an anti-corruption association. «The scandal that occurred at Agadir University—well, I have an agreement at the Ministry of Justice signed by the head of this association [referring to the accused professor] and a former Minister of Justice to combat corruption», Ouahbi told members of Parliament. He added that he is willing to make the partnership agreement public. The minister's remarks came as part of his defense of the bill's new provisions, which prohibit associations from filing complaints related to crimes involving public funds—a move that sparked considerable debate in Parliament. Ouahbi also rejected amendments proposed by some parliamentarians to Articles 3 and 7 of the draft civil procedure law, which would allow civil society organizations to pursue corruption cases.
