Several arrested after probe confirms masters degree scam

The investigating judge overseeing financial crimes at the Marrakech Appeal Court (Cour d’appel de Marrakech) in Morocco has ordered the arrest of several suspects, including a university professor, who are allegedly part of a network accused of selling masters degrees in exchange for financial and political power.

What has also emerged as the scandal unfolded during the past few days is that a whistle-blower warned the authorities as far back as 2018 that forged certificates were being sold by the arrested professor.

In a statement on 16 May, the Moroccan-based National Organisation for Human Rights and the Fight against Corruption, abbreviated as ONDHLC based on the French L’organisation nationale des droits de l’homme et de lutte contre la corruption, said it was concerned about the scandal in which the faculty of law at Ibn Zohr University in Agadir has been implicated.

“A university professor and six other individuals have been arrested as part of a network suspected of trading masters degrees in exchange for sums of money and political party influence,” the ONDHLC said.

Investigators are also examining whether forged degrees were used in questionable admissions to Morocco’s bar examinations in 2022 and 2023.

In addition to the detained law professor, who previously coordinated a masters programme, and his wife (an attorney), a former court officer responsible for the management of court records, his son (a trainee lawyer), and several other attorneys and faculty members were also arrested. The name of the professor has been published in local media, but University World News has not been able to verify it independently.

Some of the suspects have been released pending their trial. Their passports have been confiscated to prevent them from leaving Moroccan territory.

The National Committee for Bar Exam Victims in Morocco, a group of law graduates who believe the Moroccan bar exam was rigged in favour of certain individuals, particularly those with connections to powerful people, on 17 May organised a protest in front of parliament, calling for transparency and integrity in the awarding of university degrees.

Gagging whistle-blowers?

ONDHLC said the arrests have brought to the fore a case that had been buried for years. In this case, in 2018 a young man was convicted when he warned the authorities about the sale of forged certificates. He named the arrested professor at the time.

ONDHLC has posted a copy of the court’s conviction.

“This conviction raises serious questions about the protection of whistle-blowers and the transparency of procedures and calls for a review of the course of investigations to ensure justice is served and to protect citizens’ right to report without fear of retaliation or harassment,” the organisation said.

According to the organisation, the “academic scandal” undermined citizens’ confidence in the justice system.

It said many questions emerged: “... Why wasn’t a serious investigation launched into the content of the blog post in 2018? Who is responsible for ignoring the initial warning of corruption? Was the judiciary used at the time to silence a disturbing voice instead of holding the corrupt accountable? Why wasn’t the principle of whistle-blower protection, enshrined in the constitution and international agreements, implemented? Do blog posts about corruption become grounds for prosecution while the real perpetrators escape justice? And who benefits from the seven-year silencing of this scandal?”

Restoring credibility

ONDHLC has demanded the opening of a comprehensive and independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the conviction of the whistle-blower and for a review of all legal measures taken against him, along with strengthening legal protection for whistle-blowers.

The Legal Authority of the Moroccan Mutual Funds Protection and Human Rights Defence also issued a public notice on 18 May calling for revealing the identities of the beneficiaries suspected of buying degrees.

“This move aims to restore the credibility of the academic and judicial system,” the authority said.

Building coalitions

The ONDHLC has called for oversight and inspection bodies within universities to prevent the recurrence of such scandals and to conduct a comprehensive review of university education programmes and masters degree admission procedures to ensure transparency and integrity of admission criteria.

Furthermore, the ONDHLC called for raising awareness among the university community about their rights and responsibilities in combating corruption and encourage a culture of fearless reporting along with cooperating with human rights and student organisations to ensure effective oversight of the educational process.

ONDHLC also called for a serious national dialogue on reforming the higher education system in Morocco and the continuous monitoring, by the organisation, of any developments in this regard to ensure justice and transparency.

In another statement on 17 May and titled, ‘The spread of academic corruption in higher education institutions: Who is responsible?’, ONDHLC called for building an independent national coalition to combat university corruption, bringing together representatives of civil society, university professors, students, and human rights activists.

“This coalition will serve as a permanent monitoring body, issuing periodic reports revealing the extent of the phenomenon and recommending ongoing reforms. It will also pressure government agencies to commit to combating corruption transparently,” said ONDHLC.