The latest statements by government spokesperson, Mustapha Baitas, regarding the Samir affair have been strongly criticized by the National Front for the Safeguarding of the Mohammedia Refinery and which, according to them, have underestimated the importance of the decision of the Commercial Court of Casablanca.
In a statement to the press following the explanations of the government spokesman, Mustapha Baitas, during the press briefing held this Thursday, Houssine Elyamani, secretary general of the national petroleum union and president of the National Front for the Safeguarding of the Samir refinery, let it be known that these can only be explained by an attempt to avoid responsibility and a desire to sow confusion in public opinion.
The trade unionist pointed out that “ all government statements that underestimate the role of the Samir company and contradict court decisions aimed at resuming production activity within the company, can only be placed in the category of obstacles“.
The National Front also stated in a recent statement that ” those who wish to acquire the assets of the Samir company, which is subject to judicial liquidation, will have nothing to do with the accumulated debts“. And to add that Samir’s creditors are responsible for the loss of their debts since they decided to resort to the loans when they were not sure that there was a possibility of repaying these debts. on time.
Indeed, the company, which owns the oil refinery in Mohammadia and significant storage capacities for petroleum materials, has been facing a judicial liquidation procedure since 2016, after having accumulated its debts under the era of the two previous leaders. amounting to more than 40 billion dirhams.
The members recalled that the court is the only one in charge of the sale of the assets of the Samir company, and not the government, and what is asked of the Executive, “ it is to assist the court in its efforts for judicial relief through the acquisition or by encouraging the many investors wishing to acquire and develop the refinery in Mohammedia“.
That said, the Front refused to link the decision on Samir’s fate to the outcome of the dispute opened between the State and the former investor, explaining that ” the judicial liquidation procedure endorsed the expropriation of Samir’s assets, which are now the subject of a judicial sale“. The same source notably warned of the consequences if the government continued to ignore the Samir case.
It should be recalled that the Commercial Court of Casablanca ordered, this Thursday, January 26, the maintenance of the activity of Samir, placed in compulsory liquidation since 2016, for three additional months.
In addition, the court issues a judgment authorizing the maintenance of the company’s activities, every three months, while basing itself on article 652 of the commercial code, which authorizes the continuation of the activity of companies in judicial liquidation, if the public interest or the interest of creditors so requires, either automatically or at the request of the syndicate or the King’s prosecutor. It has been in charge of this judicial liquidation procedure since 2016, and has still not managed to find a possible buyer knowing that an attempt to rent the storage bins to the Moroccan State had failed in November 2021.