A court in Morocco has sentenced French rapper Maes to seven years in prison after finding him guilty of attempted kidnapping and forming a criminal gang, according to local reports on Wednesday.
Maes, whose real name is Walid Georgey and who has Moroccan roots, was arrested in January when he arrived in the country. Reports said he had left the United Arab Emirates because he feared being extradited to France, where he also faces a separate case. French authorities had already issued an international arrest warrant for him.
He appeared before a Moroccan court on Tuesday night. News outlet TelQuel reported that he was convicted of forming a criminal organisation, attempted abduction and unlawful confinement of a rival in Morocco. The report added that he was accused of hiring a gang and hitmen to kill the rival, but the plan failed.
Maes denied the allegations, and his lawyers said the case had no substance. TelQuel quoted them as saying there was no evidence linking him to the other accused persons.
Media24 reported that ten other defendants were also sentenced, with jail terms ranging from one to ten years.
AFP said it could not independently confirm the details, as prosecutors were not immediately available for comment.
Maes, once among the most streamed rappers in France in 2020, had earlier faced extortion attempts in Sevran, near Paris. Reports said he reacted by firing weapons he kept at home, which led to a shootout before he fled to Dubai with his family.
In 2022, after his manager was killed, he was suspected of seeking revenge against those he believed were involved, according to reports.
