In connection with what it calls an anti-corruption drive, the Moroccan government announced yesterday the arrest of 13 notables, including the secretary general of the Jewish Community Council, David Ben Amar, and two Jewish businessmen. The Rabat regime of King Hassan II also put out a warrant for the arrest of Paul Ohana, the Jewish general manager of Morocco’s biggest oil refinery, who may be in Israel. Ohana is being sought for alleged oil-price rigging. The names of the two Jewish businessmen arrested were not immediately available here.
On Nov. 4, the JTA Daily News Bulletin reported the arrest, according to sources, of Baruch Dahan, a realtor and former member of the Rabat Jewish community’s Executive Council, for alleged misuse of public funds and corruption of state officials. Dahan is presumably one of the two Jewish businessmen whose arrests were announced yesterday. According to the American Jewish Year Book, there were 45,000 Jews in Morocco at the end of last year, out of a total population of 15 million.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.