Tangier mayor placed in custody as electoral investigation expands

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The judicial investigation into suspected electoral irregularities in Tangier has taken a new turn with the placement of the city’s mayor, Mounir Laymouri, in police custody.

Laymouri, who also serves as the provincial coordinator of the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), was detained on Monday, September 28, after returning to Morocco from Spain. He was subsequently questioned by judicial police in connection with an investigation into electoral documents linked to a polling station at Al Qods school in Tangier.

The decision to place him in custody followed several hours of questioning under the supervision of the public prosecutor at the Tangier Court of Appeal. The investigation is aimed at determining the circumstances surrounding the alleged irregularities and identifying any individual responsibility.

Investigation began with polling-station documents

The case emerged following the discovery of electoral papers connected to the Al Qods school polling centre in the Casabarata area of Tangier during the September 23 legislative elections.

According to earlier information released in connection with the investigation, authorities initially arrested five people, including the presidents and deputy presidents of two polling stations, as well as another individual. Investigators subsequently broadened their inquiries as they sought to establish how the electoral documents were handled and whether other people were involved.

Authorities have also examined the physical characteristics of the documents recovered during the investigation. Earlier reporting cited differences between the ink found on some seized ballots and the ink used at the polling stations as one of the elements examined by investigators.

Laymouri detained after returning from Spain

Laymouri was arrested at Tangier Ibn Battouta Airport after arriving on a flight from Malaga. His detention followed a national search notice reportedly issued in connection with the ongoing investigation.

His return from Spain had already attracted attention because of the timing of his trip. Laymouri has previously rejected suggestions that his travel was connected to the investigation, maintaining that the trip was related to professional activities and meetings in Spain.

Following his arrival, he was taken to the provincial judicial police headquarters for questioning before the public prosecutor ordered that he be placed in police custody.

Investigation continues under judicial supervision

The latest development brings the case closer to the judicial stage, but it does not establish Laymouri’s criminal responsibility.

The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities examining the evidence and the possible links between the different individuals already questioned or detained. The prosecutor has sought to clarify the full circumstances surrounding the electoral documents and determine whether the suspected violations were part of a wider operation.

The PAM has indicated that it supports the judicial investigation and that the competent authorities should establish the facts and responsibilities.

As the inquiry proceeds, the case is being closely followed because of Laymouri’s dual position as mayor of Tangier and a senior local figure within the PAM. Any further decision concerning prosecution or other judicial measures will depend on the findings of the investigation and the competent judicial authorities.

Laymouri, like the other individuals implicated in the investigation, remains presumed innocent unless and until a court establishes otherwise.