Kickboxing star Jamal Ben Saddik is headed to prison after his appeal in a money laundering case was denied.
The Antwerp Court of Appeal upheld the conviction and sentence for Jamal Ben Saddik, who received 40 months in prison, with half suspended. He was found guilty of laundering over €1.2 million and forgery. The rejection of his appeal confirms the original ruling.
Jamal`s brother, Saïd Ben Saddik, and an associate identified as Emad N. were also given significant prison terms. Saïd Ben Saddik was sentenced to two and a half years, while Emad N. received four years. Authorities successfully seized the full amount laundered in the scheme, totaling €1,230,000.
The precise amount of time Ben Saddik will spend incarcerated is currently uncertain. In Belgium, prison sentences shorter than 36 months don`t always mandate full-time detention.
This final ruling brings an end to legal proceedings that revealed a network involved in fraudulent contracts and real estate scams, which were connected to Dutch criminal Karim S. Raids related to the case led to the confiscation of more than €500,000 in cash and numerous falsified documents.
The Dutch-Moroccan fighter made his return to the ring earlier this year after being away from competition for over two years. Just under two weeks ago, he participated in the Last Heavyweight Standing tournament, where he lost in the semifinals to Sofian Laidouni due to sustaining a cut on his shin.
Ellis Thorne