Moroccan Energy Minister Denies Affair Allegations as Party Rallies Support

The political bureau of the PAM expressed its full support for Leila Benali during a meeting held on Monday, a party official told Al3omk. The party leaders are convinced that the information according to which the Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development would be having a romantic relationship with an Australian businessman is not founded and that the official would be the victim of a smear campaign, specifies the same source.

This is not the first time that the member of Aziz Akhannouch’s government has been the target of these attacks which only aim to harm her reputation, the PAM political bureau noted, observing that despite these attacks, Leila Benali is exercising her functions with responsibility and efficiency. "The recent appointments that followed the holding of the last council of ministers, which concern institutions related to the sector led by Benali, indicate that the minister is on the right track."

The PAM will publish a press release on the subject in the coming hours, sources said, specifying that "the party members congratulated the minister and welcomed her reaction following the dissemination of the news and her way of communicating with public opinion on this subject." About a week ago, the Australian press mentioned the existence of an "intimate" relationship between the Moroccan minister and an Australian businessman and the possibility of a conflict of interest.

In a press release, Leila Benali denied this information published by "The Australian" which broadcast a photo of an alleged kiss between the minister and Andrew Forrest, the director of the Australian group "Fortescue", a leader in the fields of green energy, minerals and technology. Leila Benali denounced this attempt at defamation against her person, reiterating her commitment to defending her honor and dignity as a woman and mother, and as a member of the government.