Moroccan PM Faces Scrutiny Over Family Firm’s Role in Major Desalination Project

The project to build a seawater desalination plant in Casablanca exposes Aziz Akhannouch to strong criticism. And for good reason, Afriquia Gaz, a subsidiary of the Akwa Group, owned 67% by his family, and the Spanish companies Acciona Agua S.A. and Green of Africa S.A. have won this contract. PJD (Justice and Development Party) deputy Abdellah Bouanou - formerly the ruling party, defeated in the September 2021 legislative elections by Akhannouch’s RNI (Rally of Independents) - denounced a blatant conflict of interest in the awarding of the desalination contract, reports Maroc Diplomatique. According to him, the head of the Moroccan government should have withdrawn from the sectors he supervises himself, out of ethical concern. The elected official also said that his party had seized the National Authority for Integrity, Prevention and the Fight against Corruption (INPPLC) to request an investigation into this case.

In an interview with TelQuel, RNI deputy Mohamed Chaouki, president of the Finance Committee of the House of Representatives, defended the head of government. Refuting any accusation of conflict of interest, he explained that Afriquia Gaz was a publicly traded, transparent company controlled by the Moroccan Capital Market Authority (AMMC), which was part of an international consortium that had won the tender launched by the Moroccan government, offering the lowest price for the production of drinking water, at 4.40 dirhams per cubic meter. The elected official also stressed that the project was of public interest, as it met the water needs of the population of Casablanca. In a press release from the Spanish Council of Ministers, which approved the 250 million euro loan on December 27, it was also specified that the desalination plant, which will be the largest in North Africa, will provide drinking water to more than six million inhabitants of the Casablanca-Settat region.

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

This Spanish loan, which aims to strengthen cooperation between Spain and Africa, is part of Spain’s "Africa Horizon" strategy, which aims to promote the development of the African continent and strengthen the presence of Spanish companies in the region. It will be used to cover the construction, maintenance and operation of the plant for 25 years.