French rapper Maes has been sentenced to seven years in prison by a Moroccan court over allegations that he attempted to kidnap a rival and organised a criminal gang, according to multiple local reports released on Wednesday.
Maes, born Walid Georgey and known for chart-topping hits and a massive online following, was arrested in January after arriving in Morocco. Local media reported that he had fled the United Arab Emirates because he feared being extradited to France, where authorities had already issued an international arrest warrant for him in connection with a separate criminal investigation.
TelQuel, a Moroccan news outlet, reported that the court found the rapper guilty of offences that included forming a criminal organisation, attempted abduction and unlawful confinement. According to the outlet, prosecutors alleged that Maes gave instructions to a gang and hired hitmen to eliminate a rival. The plan was reportedly thwarted before it could be carried out.
TelQuel added that Maes denied every allegation during his appearance in court late Tuesday, with his defence team insisting that the file was “empty” and that “no evidence linked him to the other defendants”.
Media24, another local news platform, disclosed that ten additional defendants were convicted alongside him, receiving sentences ranging from one to ten years.
International news agency AFP said it could not independently verify the reports as efforts to reach prosecutors for comments were unsuccessful.
The case adds another chapter to Maes’ troubled history. In 2020, at the height of his popularity when he ranked among France’s most-streamed artistes, he was reportedly targeted by extortionists in Sevran, a suburb north of Paris where he grew up. French media accounts say he responded by firing weapons kept at his home, sparking a shootout before fleeing with his family to Dubai.
Reports also linked him to suspected reprisals following the killing of his manager in 2022, though he has not been convicted on that matter.
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