A Moroccan Jewish oil executive said today that he would appear voluntarily before a Moroccan court to answer charges of “corruption and misappropriation of public funds.” The charges were leveled against Paul Ohana, director of the Moroccan-Italian oil refining company, Samir, in Nov. 1971. Ohana has been living in Paris for the past few months.
Accused along with him were his brother Henri, and David Amar, former president of the Moroccan Jewish Community. Five former Moroccan government ministers implicated in the alleged scandal are being held in preventive detention in Morocco. All the persons involved except Ohana have already been heard by a Moroccan judge.
Ohana has asked his lawyer, Jacques Sultan, to advise the Moroccan judicial authorities of his intention to appear. It was not known whether the judge would interrogate him personally or designate a commission for the task.
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