Rabat – The Rabat Court of Appeal has sentenced 15 suspects involved in the theft of a number of luxury watches from King Mohammed VI to prison terms ranging from two to 15 years
The court handed a 15-year sentence to the two main defendants, a 46-year-old maid and a man accused of stealing 36 watches from the Royal Palace in Marrakech.
The first theft dates back to 2013, when the maid was able to sell jewelry belonging to the King for MAD 50,000 ($5,200) with the help of her main accomplice.
The maid melted down the watches before selling the raw material to gold traders in several Moroccan cities, including Fez and Casablanca. She then started to sell the watches intact.
The court handed sentences of 12 years, 10 years, 8 years and 6 years against six other people implicated in this theft committed inside the royal palace. Four other people received 5 years in prison, and the remaining two were given two years.
When presented before the judge, the 14 suspects maintained that they did not know the origin of the watches.
The suspects, who were all arrested last December, faced charges of forming a criminal organization and robbery.
