The questioning of Tangier Mayor Mounir Laymouri in an alleged election fraud case was put off until Nov 3 after he fell ill shortly before appearing before an investigating judge at the city’s Court of Appeal on Tuesday.
Laymouri, who has been in custody since Oct 2, was brought to court from Asilah prison but could not be questioned after suffering a sharp rise in blood pressure, according to information obtained by Le360.
His lawyers requested that the proceedings be postponed to allow him to recover, saying he was not in a condition to undergo detailed questioning.
The judge accepted the request on Tuesday evening, and Royal Gendarmerie personnel escorted the mayor back to Asilah prison.
Laymouri has reportedly been suffering from blood pressure problems for about a week.
(S.Kadry/Le360)
The mayor faces three charges in a case involving a bag of allegedly falsified ballot papers.
He is accused of interfering with voting operations to alter or attempt to alter an election result, complicity in the falsification of an official document, and bribery involving an offer, promise or gift to secure the performance of an act.
The charges have been brought under Article 58 of Organic Law 27.11 governing the House of Representatives and Articles 352, 353, 251 and 129 of the Penal Code.
The investigating judge ordered Laymouri’s detention on Oct 2 following 72 hours in police custody.
He had been arrested at Tangier Ibn Battouta International Airport after arriving on a flight from Malaga, Spain.
