Defense requests exclusion of key phone recordings in Naciri case

The defense team of Said Naciri, former president of Wydad Casablanca FC, has called for the exclusion of key evidence in a criminal case involving allegations of links to a notorious drug dealer known as the “Escobar of the Desert.”

In a hearing at the Casablanca Court of Appeals on Friday, Mohamed Hassi, head of the Casablanca Bar Association, argued that the police reports and phone tapping evidence against Naciri were obtained through violations of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Hassi claimed that the police had intercepted Naciri’s phone conversations before receiving the proper authorization from the public prosecutor, as required by Moroccan law. He explained that under Article 108 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, phone taps can only be authorized by the public prosecutor after obtaining consent from the President of the Court of Appeals.

The defense also pointed out that the police reports revealed the intercepts were conducted before the public prosecutor issued any formal orders, thus rendering the evidence legally invalid.

Hassi urged the court to exclude the intercepted phone conversations from the case, asserting that the actions violated procedural safeguards and lacked legal basis.

Additionally, the defense team criticized the surveillance of Naciri’s bank accounts, calling it an unlawful invasion of privacy. Hassi argued that monitoring his client’s financial records contravened both Moroccan law and international human rights agreements.

Achraf Jadoui Mansour, another member of Naciri’s defense team, echoed these concerns and requested the nullification of the police reports’ preambles. He claimed the preambles contained discrepancies and inaccurate information that undermined the impartiality of the judicial authorities involved.

The hearing continues as the defense pushes for the exclusion of the disputed evidence and a reconsideration of the procedural integrity of the case.