A retired Monaco police commissioner has been sentenced to three years in prison and fined €100,000 for his role in a corruption scheme that enabled a Belgian textile magnate and his relatives to illegally obtain Monegasque residency permits…
The court found the 73-year-old guilty of complicity in the improper issuance of administrative documents, corruption, influence peddling, and money laundering.
The investigation revealed that the commissioner, alongside a real estate agent and two colleagues, helped arrange fake residency applications for Belgian businessman Pierre Salik and about fifteen associates. By renting apartments in Monaco and purchasing season tickets to local sporting events, the group created the appearance of genuine residency while subletting the properties.
The real estate agent received an 18-month prison sentence and a matching €100,000 fine, while another police officer was given an 18-month suspended sentence.
The commissioner’s ex-wife, who exposed the scheme during divorce proceedings in 2016, received a suspended one-year sentence. Salik, who died in January, had also faced prosecution in Belgium for tax evasion.
His payments to the commissioner’s family, including cash and luxury vehicles, were central to the case. Defence lawyers have criticised the ruling as “humiliating and harsh,” confirming plans to appeal.
Photo by Jannis Lucas
