Mosque Founder in Northern France Jailed for Fraud and Illegal School Operation

At the age of 50, Amirouche Ouarab was found guilty of "breach of trust", "money laundering", "tax evasion", "social benefit fraud" and "opening an illegal school". The public prosecutor had requested a much heavier sentence as well as a permanent ban on running an educational institution and teaching. But the court was more lenient. However, in addition to the prison sentence, the judge ordered the dissolution of the association managing the Al Houda mosque and another association called "Maisons de savoir", both managed by the accused, reports Saphirnews.

Amirouche Ouarab had been flagged during an investigation into the financing of the premises housing his two associations, for which he had spent 350,000 euros, while he was receiving social and family benefits related to the birth of his six children. The search of the mosque allowed the police to discover that he had opened a private educational institution and was hiding teachers there.