Two French journalists arrested for trying to blackmail king of Morocco
Paris, Aug 28: Two journalists in France were arrested for allegedly trying to blackmail Morocco's King Mohammed VI, media reported on Friday.
Duo
allegedly
asked
for
€3
million
in
exchange
for
not
publishing
a
damaging
book
about
the
king,
reported
France
24.
The
journalists
who
sought
money
have
been
identified
as
Eric
Laurent
and
Catherine
Graciet.
They were arrested on Thursday after meeting with a representative of the Moroccan government in a Paris restaurant.
Moroccan palace officials were contacted by these two journalists on July 23 informing them that they had written a book on Mohammed VI, and a first meeting was organised in Paris with a Moroccan lawyer.
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The Moroccan government informed French authorities about the blackmailer journalists and a further meeting took place, this time under police surveillance.
"Both Eric Laurent and Catherine Graciet were present. They signed a contract and received 80,000 euros in cash" said Dupond-Moretti a lawyer of the king.
Both were arrested as they left the establishment "with the proceeds of their crime in their pockets", the lawyer said.
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