reports surfaced Friday morning disclosing the arrest of Said Naciri, a prominent figure in the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) and the President of the Wydad Casablanca football club.
The move was orchestrated by the Attorney General of the Court of Appeals in Casablanca, linking Naciri and others to an international drug trafficking case.
According to Moroccan news outlet Le360, the public prosecutor’s office in Morocco decided to place 20 individuals, including PAM leaders Said Naciri and Abdellah Bioui, as well as Wydad Casablanca President Abdelhadi El Bahioui, under arrest.
They have been referred to an investigating judge, with the inquiry set to deepen as four more individuals come under scrutiny.
Deputy Attorney General at the Court of Appeals in Casablanca took the step on the evening of December 21, 2023, submitting the 25 suspects to an investigating judge.
The request urged a detailed examination of the case, with charges including “international drug trafficking, money laundering, and forgery of official documents.”
Since Thursday morning, December 21, 2023, the 25 individuals implicated in the drug lord known as “Al-Malli’s” case have appeared before the Appeals Court.
Among them, 18 individuals, including Naciri and El Bahioui, initially presented themselves to the public prosecutor’s office and were released pending further investigation.
Simultaneously, the remaining seven were presented to the Attorney General under arrest.
In a separate development, Wydad Casablanca suffered a defeat against Simba SC of Tanzania, losing 2-0 in the fourth round of the group stage of the CAF Champions League.
The loss adds further pressure to the club, already grappling with the shocking arrest of its president on serious charges.
