Morocco sacks high security officials over ‘violations’

By Imad Kazout

RABAT

Several senior Moroccan security officials were dismissed -- while others were referred to disciplinary action -- for committing "professional violations", Morocco's National Security Directorate said Friday.

In a statement carried on the country’s official news agency, the directorate said that a number of security officials -- it did not specify how many -- had been sent before a disciplinary board to be questioned over alleged "professional breaches".

According to the statement, investigators are currently conducting "administrative examinations" of "all departments and bodies of [Morocco’s] Information and Communication Directorate, along with the Interior Ministry-affiliated Judiciary Police Department".

An investigation committee drawn up by National Security Director Abdullatif Hammouchi, meanwhile, has pointed to "serious professional violations" and "functional infractions at several levels" without elaborating further.

According to the security directorate, the accusations against the security officials -- whose names have not been made public -- follow examinations by a fact-finding committee in October and November.

Since Hammouchi was appointed national security director in May of last year (he also serves as head of Morocco’s intelligence agency), the local media has occasionally reported on the dismissal of high-ranking officials for alleged "violations".