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The trial of former Moroccan MP Saïd Chaou began Monday in Breda, Netherlands, Dutch media reported. With the start of the long-awaited trial, Chaou, along with 15 other co-defendants, is facing allegations of drug trafficking, money laundering, and membership in a criminal organization.
This trial follows a major police operation in 2015 that dismantled a group operating in West Brabant, involved in cannabis cultivation, export, and illegal sales.
The defendants, including several of Saïd Chaou's family members, allegedly earned millions from a cannabis farm in Sprundel and exported the drugs to France. They also operated two grow shops in Etten-Leur, a municipality in the Dutch province North Brabant, where police found 100 kilos of cannabis.
Notably, twelve of the suspects did not appear in court, with some expected to remain absent throughout the trial, which will last until early April.
In court, Saïd Chaou addressed the allegations of money laundering, where the prosecution is seeking to recover €338,000 from him. The funds in question reportedly came from criminal activities, which were deposited into his private accounts.
This money was used for purchases, including a BMW X5 and part of his house in Roosendaal. The court questioned Chaou, as there was no evidence of regular income, such as from his travel agency or ferry service in Morocco, to explain these expenditures.
«I trade in oranges and mint, and I also sell many sheep and lambs for the Eid al-Adha festival. That’s very profitable», Chaou calmly responded. «I have plenty of money in Morocco. I’m a well-known businessman in El Hoceima. The culture there is different. Everyone pays cash, and no one pays taxes on agricultural products», he claimed.
Diplomatic tensions surrounding Chaou's trial
The investigation into Saïd Chaou and his associates has taken nearly a decade, and the prosecution will explain the reasons for the lengthy process when the sentencing demands are made. Dutch media suspects that the reasons for the delay could include political sensitivities surrounding the case, in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Indeed, Chaou has been at the center of diplomatic sensitivities between Morocco and the Netherlands.
Saïd Chaou was the subject of two international arrest warrants issued by the Moroccan justice system: one for «criminal conspiracy» in 2010 and another for «international drug trafficking» in 2015. He fled Morocco in 2010 following the dismantling of the Zaïmi drug baron network and has since been living in the Netherlands. In October 2018, the Dutch authorities refused to extradite him to Morocco, which pushed Rabat to recall its ambassador to the Hague.
Chaou is also a vocal critic of the Moroccan government, serving as the spokesperson and main sponsor of the «18th September Movement», which calls for the independence of the Rif region and emerged during the early days of the Hirak movement.
Saïd Chaou was born in the Rif region of Morocco and emigrated to the Netherlands, where he lived with his family in Roosendaal for many years. He ran a coffeeshop until he lost his license at the end of the 1990s. Afterward, he returned to Morocco, where he became involved in business and even served as a member of parliament for a time.
