The Moroccan press is in full turmoil around potential international drug trafficking involving around twenty people, including police officers, civil servants, business leaders, a notary and a tourist promoter.
The two central figures are notably Saïd Naciri, owner and financier of Wydad Casablanca, the largest football club in Morocco, and Abdenbi Bioui, leading entrepreneur in the field of construction and real estate. Both are members of the Party of Authenticity and Modernity (PAM), a party closely linked to politics and business in Morocco, and also in favor of legalizing cannabis in the kingdom.
The charges against these people range from international drug trafficking to the creation of a criminal gang, including money laundering, spoliation and falsification of official documents. The case stems from revelations by a drug trafficker known as “the Malian” or “the Pablo Escobar of the Sahara”, who is currently serving a prison sentence, and who implicated Naciri and Bioui in large-scale cannabis trafficking from 2010.
The trafficker claims that his alleged accomplices seized his property in Morocco during his incarceration in 2015, including properties in Casablanca. His second arrest in 2019, linked to a shipment of 40 tonnes of cannabis, helped to elucidate the case. Naciri and Bioui were subsequently arrested and have been in detention since December 22.
Despite the serious allegations, Naciri's lawyer denies any connection to international drug trafficking or money laundering, saying Naciri only provided personal assistance to an acquaintance. Naciri and Bioui, both members of the PAM, voluntarily suspended their membership in the party, and the PAM stressed that the party offered no protection from the law.
This case adds to a growing trend of investigations and convictions against elected representatives in Morocco, with at least six members currently in prison of the 395 members of the House of Representatives. The situation is seen as emblematic of a broader problem where political parties prioritize obtaining votes from notables, leading to questionable practices. The legal proceedings against Naciri and Bioui are expected to continue with the first interrogation session scheduled for January 25, which promises an important political and legal saga in 2024.
