The Criminal Chamber of the Casablanca Court of Appeals on Thursday postponed the “Sahara Escobar” case until June 27, mainly due to the absence of some of the accused who have been provisionally released.
Said Naciri, former head of Wydad Football Club, and Abdenbi Bioui, Eastern Regional Council President, both members of the Party of Authenticity and Modernity, attended the court session along with numerous lawyers and relatives of the accused.
During the court session chaired by Judge Ali Torchi, the defense attorneys submitted requests for provisional release, which will be considered by the court at a later date.
The defendants are accused in a criminal case involving allegations of drug trafficking, money laundering, and abuse of power.
The list of suspects, which currently stands at 28 individuals, includes politicians, sports officials, law enforcement personnel, notaries, and a fashion designer.
The case erupted in August, following the Jeune Afrique magazine article, which reported links between the accused – although they were not mentioned by name – and a drug baron nicknamed “The Malian” / “Sahara Escobar,” whose real name is El Hadj Ahmed Ben Ibrahim.
“The Malian” was arrested at Casablanca airport in 2019 and was sentenced to 10 years-plus at the El Jadida prison (70 kilometers south of Casablanca).
After being transferred to Casablanca’s Ain Sebaa prison, the Malian was later moved to Sale II prison in February where he was placed in solitary confinement under direct surveillance for his security and protection.
Ben Ibrahim is a purported drug baron who operated a multimillion-dollar drug trafficking enterprise spanning numerous African and Latin American countries.