FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Jeffrey Epstein attempted to buy a multi-million dollar mansion in Morocco the day before his arrest in 2019, according to documents released last month by the US Department of Justice.
As the BBC writes, Epstein had pursued the purchase of the Bin Ennakhil property since 2011, but disagreements with the seller over the price and manner of purchase lasted for years.
The magnificent palace in the luxurious Palmeraie district of Marrakesh has been described as an architectural masterpiece, built by 1,300 craftsmen and decorated with carvings and mosaics.
On July 5, 2019, the day before his arrest, Epstein signed a bank transfer for $14.95 million following an agreement to buy the offshore company that owned the property for 18 million euros.
According to the documents, this transfer was Epstein's last major financial transaction before his arrest in New York on sex trafficking charges.
Three days after the arrest, Epstein's accountant, Richard Kahn, canceled the transfer and the purchase was never finalized.
Morocco does not have an extradition treaty with the US, and local media have speculated that one of Epstein's motives may have been to seek refuge in the country to avoid arrest if new charges were filed.
However, a former associate of his said the transaction showed that Epstein had "no idea" of the impending arrest.
Epstein had ties to Morocco since the early 2000s. Virginia Giuffre, one of his most prominent accusers, has confessed to flying to Tangier to view the furnishings of several luxury properties with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
In 2002, Epstein attended the wedding of King Mohammed of Morocco to Maxwell, invited by former US President Bill Clinton.
The documents show that Epstein frequently visited Morocco from 2012, staying in the Palmeraie, where many wealthy internationals live, including Jabor al Thani of the Qatari royal family, whom he called "my Arab brother."
Bin Ennakhil and Kiss
Epstein's long-term girlfriend, Karyna Shuliak, led the search for a property in Marrakech, with numerous visits and negotiations documented in emails.
Marc Leon, a partner at Kensington Luxury Properties, said Epstein had been eyeing the Bin Ennakhil mansion since 2011. The owner, German businessman Gunter Kiss, had valued the property at 55 million euros, but Epstein's low offer offended him and he refused to negotiate further.
In 2018, Epstein toured the property himself, while Shuliak made the final bids claiming to be acting on behalf of Leon Black, a billionaire friend of Epstein.
In the end, it became clear that Epstein was the real buyer, and “Mr. Kiss” agreed to continue negotiations.
The documents show that Kensington Luxury Properties proposed to Epstein a "sale and tax strategy", where the property would be registered for 10 million euros, while the actual transaction for the shares of the offshore company would be 20 million euros, reducing the taxes payable in Morocco.
The company denied there was any illegal attempt at tax avoidance, saying Epstein wanted to register the property in his own name.
In the end, Epstein decided to buy the property solely through shares in the offshore company and was in the process of registering it in Morocco when he was arrested in 2019.
Lini një Përgjigje