Marbio, the company behind the Benslimane vaccine factory project, has spoken out in the Samir Machhour case. The biotech company has distanced itself from him and stated that he cannot “claim to act” on its behalf and is “in no way authorized to represent us in any way”. This is a decisive turning point in the state scandal, the existence and magnitude of which were revealed by Le Desk.
In a post titled “Important Statement” on its website, Maroc Biotechnologies (Marbio), formerly known as Sensyo Pharmatech, clearly states that there is no affiliation or connection between Samir Machhour and Marbio and that he is not authorized to represent the company. The company expresses its sincere gratitude for understanding and cooperation as they clarify their affiliations and representations.
Marbio’s shareholders include three major banks in Morocco (Attijariwafa Bank, Banque Centrale Populaire, and Bank of Africa), the Swedish biotech giant Recipharm, and the Mohammed VI Investment Fund, representing the state. The company is responsible for the realization and operation of a vaccine factory in Benslimane. This is the first time the company has publicly commented on the issue, which was originally revealed by Le Bureau.
Samir Machhour, the central figure in this complex case, was recently removed from his position as vice president of the Korean company Samsung Biologics. He had presented the Benslimane vaccine factory project at a royal ceremony and during its launch. In addition to his role in the national project aimed at ensuring Morocco’s vaccine sovereignty, Machhour secretly created parallel structures, which were exposed by Le Bureau. These included MarocVax, which initiated agreements for vaccine imports and technology transfer licenses, as well as its parent company in Switzerland, Bio Investment Group AG (BIG), and a private firm called Sensyo, with offices in Canada, Delaware, and France.
On a now-defunct website, BIG claimed to be capable of duplicating the Marbio project for the benefit of other African countries. Sensyo, on the other hand, offered a wide range of vaccines for production. Following Le Bureau’s revelations, Samir Machhour was removed from the project. When questioned about his current involvement with Marbio, Machhour evaded the question and vaguely stated that he “still adheres to the royal vision”, even denying the existence of the entities he created abroad when pressed further.
Marbio’s statement indicates that the company is alerting the public to Samir Machhour and BIG claiming to act on its behalf. It was previously unknown that Machhour was presenting himself as a representative of Marbio, except for the MarocVax contract to acquire a vaccine from the Chinese company Walvax, which has been officially confirmed. Neither BIG’s nor Sensyo’s websites mention Marbio’s name, but merely highlight BIG’s past experience in carrying out the vaccine factory project in Benslimane and its readiness to provide the same service to other countries. By stating that Samir Machhour and BIG are acting improperly on its behalf, Marbio reveals what it has identified as acts of usurpation.
Although Samir Machhour has appeared in the media after the launch of the Benslimane factory project, he has never been officially appointed as a member of Marbio or held any publicly known position of responsibility within the company. If Marbio has identified such actions, they can only be related to Machhour’s claims of representing the company in commercial intermediation initiatives. Le Bureau had identified at least one transaction between MarocVax and Walvax in 2021. How many other transactions or negotiations were conducted by Samir Machhour on behalf of the Benslimane project without proper authorization? What were his personal and vested interests in doing so? These questions remain unanswered.
When questioned by Le Bureau, Samir Machhour attempted to evade the question in a threatening manner before Marbio released this statement, distancing itself from him and making serious accusations that could make him accountable. ©️ Copyright Pulse Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction and distribution prohibited (photocopies, intranet, web, messaging, newsletters, monitoring tools) without written permission in French.
