Morocco: Cleaner jailed for stealing king's watches
January 25, 2020
A court in the Moroccan capital, Rabat, on Saturday sentenced a 46-year-old woman to 15 years in prison for stealing luxury watches owned by King Mohammed VI.
The woman, who worked as a cleaner on palace grounds, was convicted of stealing 36 luxury watches and forming "a criminal gang" to cash in on the stolen items.
According to one of the defendant's lawyers, the cheapest watch was valued at €18,000 ($20,000).
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Dismantled pieces
Fourteen other defendants were handed prison sentences ranging from four to 12 years. Besides the cleaner, all of the defendants were men, many of whom worked as jewelers.
Most of the watches were not sold on as full pieces. Instead, they were broken down and stripped of any elements of value, including gold and diamonds.
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Lavish life
King Mohammed VI has courted controversy for his lavish lifestyle. In a 2018 Instagram post, the king was seen wearing a diamond-encrusted Patek Philippe timepiece worth more than €1 million.
In 2014, Forbes business magazine dubbed King Mohammed VI one of the wealthiest people in the world with a value of $2.5 billion.
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ls/rc (AFP, EFE)