Former EU Lawmaker Alleges Bribery Attempt by Moroccan PM in Trade Deal Talks

"As rapporteur on the free trade agreement on fruits and vegetables with Morocco, I had opposed this project because it was harmful to Moroccan and European producers," recalls the former Green MEP in an interview with France Inter. At the time, Aziz Akhannouch, then Moroccan Minister of Agriculture, approached him to tell him that he "could not stand" his opposition, says José Bové.

"He offered to bring me a gift in Montpellier, in a discreet cafe, and that we meet between Christmas and New Year’s Day," claims the former MEP. "It wasn’t a teapot, that’s for sure, it was that." He will add that he provided "an address" to the former Moroccan Minister of Agriculture, "that of [his] lawyer." "It stopped there," he assures.