Moroccan Gendarmes Sentenced in Multi-Million Dirham Real Estate Scam

The modus operandi of the three gendarmes consists in using rental contracts for apartments, villas and buildings intended for gendarmerie officials and bearing stamps from the high command of the gendarmerie to "convince" real estate developers, reports the Arabic daily Al Akhbar. They promised them the payment of very substantial rents for the rental of their properties, in exchange for "commissions" whose total amount would amount, according to estimates, to more than 3 million dirhams. Unfulfilled promises. The real estate developers will later discover that it was a pure real estate scam.

The preliminary investigation carried out as part of this case revealed that the retired gendarme and the two other serving gendarmes are involved in a case of fraud and forgery targeting developers and businessmen operating in Rabat, Témara and Ain Atiq. The two gendarmes have been suspended. The case was brought before the courts. After debates, the Financial Crimes Chamber of Rabat sentenced the two serving gendarmes to 5 and 3 years in prison respectively. As for the retired gendarme, he was sentenced to 1 year in prison.