In a notable development, one of the most complex fraud and conspiracy cases targeting Morocco has erupted, following businessman Mustafa Aziz’s explosive revelation on July 12, 2025, during a live broadcast on the “Mouvement Maroc du Futur” TikTok account. For over 25 minutes, Aziz unveiled details of a network led by Mehdi Hijawi, supported by well-known figures in Canada, Spain, and the Gulf. The stated objective was financial gain, but the reality was far more insidious: a project aimed at infiltrating Morocco’s sovereign decision-making through sophisticated fraud and deep fakes.
Journalist Najiba Jalal, through “Express TV,” published audio clips revealing the methods Hijawi used to convince investors, relying on fabricated recordings mimicking the voice of royal advisor Fouad Ali El Himma. These counterfeit voices, produced using artificial intelligence technology, lent credibility to Hijawi’s claims of being “the second man in the DGED.” He presented himself in Paris in the summer of 2024 as being tasked with a royal project to prepare investments exceeding a billion dollars in anticipation of the 2030 World Cup.
In just a few months, Aziz and international investors were persuaded to inject funds. Among them was Jean-Yves Olivier, a close associate of Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso, who did not hesitate to grant Hijawi a diplomatic passport and propose the establishment of an African channel with a budget of 10 million dollars. The list of victims extended to a U.S. senator close to Trump involved in a water management project. Yet, all meetings took place outside Morocco, leaving behind only luxury gifts and quickly closed offshore accounts.
Simultaneously, Hicham Girando in Canada executed the media aspect of the plan, releasing clips and provocative videos targeting security agencies and attempting to convince the diaspora of conflicts within the palace and rival intelligence factions. This was all part of an organized scheme to undermine both internal and external confidence, making investors’ complaints appear as components of this fabricated conflict.
The most concerning aspect was Hijawi’s promotion of the idea that he was protected by a powerful Emirati figure and that he was preparing to succeed Morocco’s sovereign agencies following anticipated seismic changes in the state, claiming to be working on a “Royal Council” overseeing the forthcoming era. The fraud was not merely financial deception but a bid to establish soft dominance over Morocco from the outside.
What is the danger here? When a fraudster replicates a royal advisor’s voice to entice investors, nothing prevents tomorrow’s manipulation of orders in any official’s voice to disrupt sovereign decisions. We are at a stage where deep fakes can be a genuine tool for blackmailing nations and destabilizing them from within.
Moroccan institutions were not oblivious. Intelligence agencies tracked suspicious diplomatic passport movements and audio manipulations. Today, the network’s links are being dismantled one by one before the project morphs from a fantasy into a political reality.
However, an urgent question arises: Was the alleged protection umbrella for Hijawi in the Emirates an individual mistake, or part of a broader attempt to test the resilience of Moroccan sovereignty through a dismissed official? Are the rumors of a “Regency Council” and “seismic changes” mere lies amplified by artificial intelligence, or genuine intentions to stir stagnant waters in Rabat?
The only certainty is that Morocco now more than ever needs to fortify its institutions against blackmail, seal all infiltration channels, and refuse to barter national security for any foreign relationships or promises.
