Since late 2022, rapper Maes has been residing in Dubai, but his stay was interrupted by an attempted trip to Morocco just before French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin's visit to the UAE, reports «Le Nouvel Obs». On January 18, Maes was arrested in Casablanca, allegedly tied to a local investigation concerning kidnapping and sequestration, according to Moroccan sources. However, his lawyer, Me Diane de Condé, has not confirmed these allegations. The rapper, whose real name is Walid Georgey, hails from Sevran in Seine-Saint-Denis and holds French-Moroccan nationality. He claims he relocated to Dubai to escape threats and extortion in his neighborhood. «I left after vehicles from my music video were burned by jealous people», he explained in February 2023. Since the move, Maes has been frequently seen in Dubai, often in luxury cars or at iconic locations. In France, Maes is entangled in several legal issues. In October 2023, he was sentenced in absentia to ten months in prison for group violence, stemming from a 2018 assault. He is also implicated in investigations related to drug trafficking score-settling and was incarcerated in 2015 for similar offenses. Maes's sudden departure from Dubai coincided with Gérald Darmanin's arrival to discuss enhanced judicial cooperation with the UAE, which are often accused of sheltering French criminals involved in drug trafficking. These individuals invest heavily in local real estate, exploiting the minimal extradition agreements. Despite the appointment of a French liaison magistrate, cooperation remains inconsistent, enabling several suspects to escape to Morocco or Algeria.
