Graham Rowett - Morocco

July 04

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Graham Rowett returned to the UK in October 2005 via a prisoner transfer.

Graham Rowett was charged with attempting to traffic 172 kilos of cannabis resin and sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, £1,200 court costs and a fine of £1,425,260 or 2 years imprisonment in lieu.

At the time of his arrest, Graham was 55-years-old and from Lincoln. He had been working as a lorry driver for 20 years and has spent the last 7 of those doing regular trips to Morocco. In March 2004, he arrived at Tangier and was approached by a Moroccan asking if he wanted to do business. Graham declined. He continued onto Casablanca to deliver his load before returning to Tangier. He left his trailer in a secure depot and went for dinner. On his way back, he was stopped by the same Moroccan and told that his family would suffer dire consequences unless Graham did what he was told.

Graham’s truck was loaded with packages. He was followed all the way into the shipping terminal, where he turned into the Import section and dumped the packages before joining the trucks in the Export section. The Customs police came to his truck and asked him if he had anything illegal in his vehicle. They searched the vehicle and found nothing. Nevertheless he was arrested and charged with attempting to traffic 172 kilos of cannabis resin.

One week later Graham was taken before the local court and tried in the absence of a lawyer in a language he did not understand. He was found guilty and sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, £1,200 court costs and fined the equivalent of £1,425,260 or two further years imprisonment in lieu. He appealed but was unsuccessful and is now entirely dependent on political and governmental support for a pardon or remission of fine.

Fair Trial Issues

1. Absence of interpretation, poor legal representation and the signing of statements in a language he did not understand.
2. The Moroccan law enforcement system in Tangiers and Casablanca is notorious for corruption and, periodically, public announcements are made that senior officials have been discharged and prosecutions are to take place.
3. Acquittals in the Moroccan criminal justice system for foreigners accused of drug offences are unknown and all appeals fail. Moroccan nationals on the other hand are frequently acquitted. Due to corruption, Graham now joins the many long-haul drivers’ cases in Morocco that have been supported by FTA over the last decade, only a few of whom obtained their eventual release by the General Amnesty of 2002 or the passing of time.