British Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Morocco for Counterfeit Currency Scheme

"I’m in a deplorable state. I’m at a loss for words - I can’t believe it," reacts Alanna Cornick, Oliver Andrew’s partner, after the trial. The young Briton and his friend did not benefit from an official translator or the possibility of speaking to a lawyer when they were taken in for questioning, and they were "pressured to sign foreign documents" that they did not fully understand, the family of Oliver has denounced.

After spending five months in pre-trial detention, the two men were found guilty of possessing and spending counterfeit money in Marrakech. In court, Andrews maintained that he did not know the money he had spent was counterfeit. Last week, they were acquitted of the charge of organized crime.

Arrived in Marrakech with a friend to spend a vacation, Oliver was arrested by the Moroccan police at the hotel where he was staying on November 11, 2022 in Marrakech, after being accused of using counterfeit money to pay for a drink. He and his friend were charged with counterfeit currency trafficking and the formation of an organized criminal group and were incarcerated.