Rabat Municipality Audit Uncovers Payments to Ghost Employees and Management Irregularities

Tuesday 27 August 2024 - 13:30

A recent audit conducted by the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra Regional Council of Accounts has revealed significant administrative and human resources issues within Rabat Municipality during the tenure of former Mayor Asmaa Rhlalou. The audit, which examined municipal operations up to February 2023, identified several troubling practices, including the payment of salaries to deceased or retired individuals, discrepancies in employee records, and extensive absenteeism.

Discrepancies and Ghost Employees

The report highlighted inconsistencies between the commune’s official employee records and the payroll managed by Rabat's regional treasury. Specifically, 77 individuals continued to receive salaries despite not being listed as employees by the commune. Additionally, six individuals remained on the payroll after their retirement or death, with payments continuing until February 2023. The audit also found that the commune lacked an accurate headcount of its workforce, citing a discrepancy of 216 employees.

Further scrutiny revealed that 48 employees were unaccounted for in the commune's records, with no explanations provided. The report underscored a lack of effective monitoring, allowing numerous staff members to bypass signing attendance sheets, with some rotating shifts due to overcrowded offices and a shortage of chairs.

Lax Attendance Oversight

The audit criticized the commune’s inadequate response to absenteeism and unexcused absences, citing poor disciplinary measures. From 2018 to 2022, approximately 1,540 medical leave requests were filed. However, verification of these claims only began in 2022, reflecting a lack of oversight.

Misuse of Communal Resources

Irregularities extended to the use of municipal vehicles. Despite regulations permitting department heads to receive a monthly allowance for using personal cars for official duties, the report found that some were simultaneously using commune-owned vehicles, violating established protocols.

Additionally, numerous employees were transferred to the Human Resources department without clear roles or responsibilities, leading to further absenteeism. Attendance records indicated that many of these individuals reported to work merely to sign attendance sheets, highlighting inefficiencies and lack of task allocation.

Issues in Hiring and Promotions

The audit also shed light on irregularities in hiring and promotions within the municipality. Several management positions announced in 2022 lacked clear criteria regarding required qualifications and the focus of the selection process. The only exception was the General Director position, which specified qualifications and duties but failed to outline the interview areas. Inconsistent evaluation standards for applicants led to confusion, with some candidates excluded for not providing administrative endorsements or supervisor evaluations, requirements that were inconsistently applied.

The report noted that documentation from selection committee meetings lacked justifications for rejecting certain candidates, with no final report provided on the interview processes. As a result, qualified candidates were often dismissed without interview opportunities. The audit further revealed that the individual appointed as General Director did not possess the necessary qualifications for the role, underscoring the flawed hiring practices under Rhlalou’s administration.

These findings have sparked concerns about governance and accountability within Rabat Municipality, highlighting the need for reforms to ensure transparency and proper management of public resources.