ONCF and Wafa Insurance Introduced in Driver Experiments

The ONCF and its insurance companies were brought to justice through forced intervention. They will be heard in the context of civil action. The defense repeated his request for independent expertise. The application for temporary release was dismissed for the defendant.

At Salé's court at the first level, the guarantee of ONCF and Wafa entering the trial of Larbi Rich, was sued after the train accident that occurred on October 16 in Bouknadel.

Railroad companies and insurance companies are the subject of the "forced intervention" movement. This approach was initiated by the victims. Some have joined a civil suit in a lawsuit where only Mr. Kaya was prosecuted.

Present at the hearing on Tuesday, November 13, the lawyer for Wafa's lawyer requested a deadline to prepare his defense. Because he had not appointed his lawyer, ONCF was called to the hearing on November 27. Both entities will be heard in the context of incidental civil actions, civil parties claiming compensation.

In this sensitive file, the tension decreases. Unlike the previous trial, there were no sit-ups held near the court. For the press, access to the room where the debate is held today is unimpeded. Last time, journalists were only able to attend the last five minutes of the trial.

Defense is still in the initial application. Expertise, calling witnesses and temporary freedom for the defendant comes with recurrence in a request submitted to the judge. When rejecting the temporary release, the court decided to keep using all other applications. Decisions will be made when the case starts a debate about benefits.

The parties, including the prosecutor, hoped the debate would be long and very technical. Defense challenges the expertise created during the initial investigation. On the basis of this work, the King's Lawyer has held back the acceleration as the sole cause of the accident, and therefore the driver as the only culprit, refused at the same time the assumptions of signal defects or referral problems.

On the signal side, Bombardier's expertise was carried out. Flat, this is a company that installs systems on behalf of ONCF. "We asked the court to order a report prepared by neutral and independent experts", launched at the hearing of Me Chaouki Ajana, the defendant's lawyer. According to him, the report must answer questions that are mechanical (the condition of the train that is the subject of an accident) and technical (referrals, signals, communication with control towers, etc.).

If he does not oppose a plea request, the prosecutor makes a reservation. "We support every possible approach to realizing the truth, but I wonder about people who are empowered to carry out their expertise," said Rachid El Menjri, Raja's lawyer.

Why not the International Railway Workers Union? "This organization is responsible for security issues in all countries that formalize it. Morocco is one of them," said Me Sabik Naim, another defense lawyer. Except that Morocco is also the president of UIC, a position he will occupy until 2022.