A court in Casablanca sentenced former Raja Casablanca president, Mohamed Boudrika, to five years in prison and fined him approximately $56,000 on Tuesday.
The verdict comes in a case involving charges of fraud, forgery, and issuing bounced checks.
The 41-year-old has been in custody since late April, as earlier revealed by AfricaSoccer.com.
He was initially arrested in Germany in July 2024 following a Moroccan arrest warrant, and was subsequently deported back to Morocco.
His lawyer, Lotfi Youssef, stated that Boudrika maintained his innocence and presented evidence to support his case, but the court ruled otherwise. Youssef added that they plan to appeal the decision.
The legal proceedings relate to business activities connected to a real estate company managed by Boudrika.
He served two terms as Raja Club Athletic’s president, from 2012 to 2016 and again from 2023 to 2024.
Additionally, Boudrika was a member of parliament representing the National Rally of Independents party, which leads Morocco’s ruling coalition.
Boudrika is the third high-profile figure in sports and politics recently facing criminal charges.
Aziz Badraoui, currently on trial since February, faces corruption allegations, while Said Naciri, the former president of rival club Wydad Casablanca, has been detained since late 2023 on charges including international drug trafficking. Naciri’s trial is set to continue until July 10.
