Royal Watch Theft: Families Seek Pardon from Morocco’s King Mohammed VI

A letter signed by the families and relatives of the merchants and intermediaries involved in the case has recently been addressed to the sovereign, in the hope of a pardon from King Mohammed VI.

"Models of probity, integrity and good conduct, and proud to be loyal to the Alaouite throne, these young people made a youthful mistake, unaware of the serious consequences that ensued," the letter reads.

Without much experience, the relatives, indicted in the case, would have been knowingly misled by the main defendants, the message points out, specifying that "the victims had no connection with the accused".

In May 2020, a cleaning lady who worked in a royal palace and her accomplice had each been sentenced to 15 years in prison for stealing 36 luxury watches from the Sovereign. The 46-year-old defendant had then melted the gold, before reselling them to retailers and resellers.