Rabat – The hearing concerning Said Chaou’s extradition to Morocco, arrested late June by Dutch authorities following two international arrest warrants issued by the Moroccan justice, is scheduled for September 26, indicates Wednesday a statement from the Dutch Ministry of Security and Justice.
The Moroccan-Dutch defendant was arrested for “drug trafficking, corruption, and criminal conspiracy” and “is also the subject of an investigation by the Dutch judicial services,” adds the communique.
The Dutch ministry also added that the Zeeland-West Brabant Tribunal decided that “detention with a view to extradition is suspended under strict conditions, including electronic surveillance and the obligation to appear [in court],” noting that “the extradition procedure is not closed and will be continued.”
After several months of discussions with the Dutch authorities, Chaou’s case was set to create a diplomatic crisis between the two countries, as on June 24, Moroccan authorities decided to recall its ambassador to the Hague for consultation.
The Dutch authorities announced on June 29 that they had arrested the former Moroccan parliamentarian and drug dealer. In addition to his criminal record, Chaou was suspected by Moroccan authorities to have provided financial and logistic support for the Rif protests.
