Suspicions of money laundering in Montpellier businesses: acquittals and up to ten years in prison

Me Jean-Robert Phung, l'un des avocats de Mourad Dhrif, avant l'audience lundi. MIDI LIBRE – François Barrère

Eight people had been tried behind closed doors since Monday morning in this case where large suspicious movements of funds had been detected by the investigating judge, following a long investigation. But the defense of the main defendant, a merchant managing tobacco shops and grocery stores, who contested the charges, convinced the judges of his innocence on this point.

The Montpellier criminal court delivered a contrasting judgment on Friday, in the investigation into suspected laundering of drug trafficking in businesses, which had been judged behind closed doors since Monday.< /p>

Mourad Dhrif, manager of several grocery and tobacco stores, was completely acquitted of this charge, and was sentenced to 18 months in prison and 10,000 € fine, for laundering simple tax fraud and concealed work, and possession of a weapon. He had been detained for two years, for these facts which he had totally contested since his incarceration, and the prosecution had requested a sentence of seven years for him.

"We have finally been heard" welcome Mourad Dhrif's lawyers

"We have finally been heard", congratulated Me Florian Medico, who defended himself with Me Jean-Robert Phung and Me Hugo Ferri. One of his daughters, who had been suspected of having served as a nominee in the perceived fraudulent purchase of tobacco, was released. On the traffickers side, Mohamed Labidi received 6 years for trafficking, Hassen M’Hamed, a repeat offender, 10 years and 150,000 € fine.

Finally Nicole Derouineau, a fifty-year-old who admitted to having transported dirty money for traffickers for years, and who had been arrested at the Millau viaduct with around a hundred kilos of cannabis in the car she was driving, was given a five-year suspended sentence. She appeared under the protection of the Raid, because of threats that would have been issued against her.