Rabat – The political bureau of the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) has condemned attempts seeking to “tarnish” the party’s reputation amid the ongoing investigation and trial that is investigating the links between two of its members and the detained drug lord El Hadj Ahmed ben Ibrahim, known as the “Desert Escobar.”
The party issued a press release on Thursday, conveying its trust in the judiciary’s independence, while expressing commitment to providing legal and judicial guarantees for the individuals involved, foremost among them the presumption of innocence and the assurance of a fair trial.
The party also denounced any “attempt to exploit the case to tarnish and attack the party’s image” against its leaders and activists, threatening to take the necessary legal action against anyone attempting to damage the party’s reputation through ”intentional defamation campaigns.”
In December 2023, police arrested President of football club Wydad AC (WAC) Said Naciri, and Abdenebi Biioui, two influential members of the political party for their alleged links to the “Desert Escobar.”
Following their arrest, PAM announced their suspension from the political party, pending the investigation’s results.
The case, however, caused political turmoil, placing PAM – one of the parties in the government coalition– under pressure.
Many, including ordinary citizens and content creators, took to social networks to express concern about the case while others, including “influencers” and content creators, utilized the case as material for their public and live episodes.
One of the content creators dedicated a whole episode to discussing the case, zooming into Biioui’s alleged involvement in the case.
According to the content creator, despite Biioui being seemingly distant from politics, he was still assigned a significant position in the Oriental region due to his affiliation with PAM.
“Biioui was reportedly arrested twice; he faced charges and imprisonment in France for theft and in Spain for illegal drug trafficking,” stated Abdellatif Yassoub, owner of Dar El Khabar news media.
Despite this, Biioui succeeded in building one of the most important infrastructure companies in Morocco upon his return, Yassoub added.
“When he returned, he was approached by PAM… so PAM was seeking individuals of this kind– uneducated and unable to articulate a proper sentence. He never had politics in his mind. They adopted him and endorsed his election campaign,” he continued.
Read Also: The Tale of the Desert Escobar Case – As It Happened
This account is not the first of its kind, as many other content creators made similar videos and visuals to discuss the case of the drugs scandal.
These accusations and claims angered PAM, which has now threatened to pursue all legal and judicial avenues against anyone “who attempt to tarnish the party’s reputation, and the honor of its activists through deliberate defamation campaigns”
The party continued that such actions will not deter the PAM from “openly expressing its authentic and progressive values” to defend its principles and values and contributing to the “development of public political life in our country.’
The case in brief
The Sahara Escobar scandal continues to make local headlines after the arrest of at least 20 individuals, including Biioui and Naciri for their alleged involvement in the case.
The case dates back to 2019, when Ben Ibrahim, commonly known by his name “the Desert Escobar,” was arrested at Casablanca airport by Morocco’s judicial police.
Ben Ibrahim was then sentenced to at least 10 years in prison in El Jadida, 101 kilometers away from Casablanca.
The Sahara Escobar then accused both Naciri and Biioui of their involvement in the case, and of plotting against him, as well as seizing his assets after his detention.
Africa-oriented outlet Jeune Afrique said that Ben Ibrahim accused Naciri and Biioui of collaborating with him since 2010. He accused them of transporting “tons of drugs” from the coast of the Moroccan city of Saidia, in the Oriental region, to other countries in Africa, including Libya and Egypt.
The charges that the suspects face include the participation in an agreement for the possession, trafficking, transportation, and export of drugs, as well as corruption, and forgery of official documents, among others.
