Key Suspect in Moroccan Artist’s Husband’s Murder Acquitted in Separate Case

Prosecuted for the kidnapping, sequestration and murder of Moroccan Brahim Hajaji in France in 2007, "Turbo" was acquitted by the Casablanca Court of Appeal, even though he had been sentenced in absentia to 21 years in prison by the Versailles court.

The case dates back to 2007 and presents similarities with the case of the husband of singer Rym Fikri. The Moroccan expatriate Brahim Hajaji is said to have disappeared in France after meeting "Turbo" as part of a cannabis trafficking operation. Wanted by the French authorities for this crime, the main suspect in the kidnapping and murder of Rym Fikri’s husband took refuge in Morocco with a false passport from Dubai.

Reda Abakrim, known as "Turbo", was arrested at Casablanca airport thanks to the collaboration between the French drug enforcement investigators and their Moroccan counterparts. His acquittal by the Moroccan justice system in this case raises concerns and questions.

The lawyer for Brahim Hajaji’s family, Mohamed Aghnaj, did not hide his surprise at this acquittal decision "for a crime for which he had already been convicted," announcing that he would appeal. At 38 years old, "Turbo" is one of the biggest cannabis traffickers from Morocco to France.