France Sentences Lebanese Prostitution Kingpin to 8 Years in Jail
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
A French court Tuesday sentenced a Lebanese businessman in absentia to eight years in prison over a high-end prostitution ring operating at the Cannes Film Festival that had ties to a slain son of Moammar Gadhafi.
The judge also slapped a 50,000 euro ($64,000) fine on Elie Nahas, a Lebanese who claimed to run a modeling agency employing young women recruited in South America, France and eastern Europe.
Prosecutor Damien Martinelli described Nahas as a "businessman dealing in prostitution" and had called for a 200,000 euro fine.
Nahas was also described as a guy Friday of Mutassim Gadhafi, one of the sons of the Libyan former leader.
Six men and a woman were on trial in the southern French port city of Marseille but the five chief figures -- including Nahas -- are on the run.
Nahas is accused of organizing a birthday bash for Mutassim Gadhafi in 2004 costing $1.5 million (1.1 million euros) with several stars and about 20 models in attendance.
Mutassim Gadhafi was killed with his father on October 20 last year. Investigators never questioned the son.
A Venezuelan named Felix Farias, who worked for a branch of Nahas' agency and caused a scandal in 2007 when he turned up at Paris airport with eight young women to attend the Cannes Film Festival, got a three-year jail sentence of which two were suspended.
The others got terms ranging from three to six years.
24 October 2012, 00:59
145
Where are all the big mouthed lebanese racists? Why no comment? Had he been syrian, this article would be filled with racist comments and your usual hypocrisy.
24 October 2012, 03:28
22
Well the so-called elitist on this forum first attack if you're a Shiite, then Syrian. Get in line!
24 October 2012, 10:57
30
I'm a Syrian and I'm racist towards Nusyaris and their allies in Lebanon.
24 October 2012, 18:31
00
actually this is an example of Lebanese entrepreneurism--you know, the kind that gives you opportunities in foreign countries but doesn't occur in the country itself. Look at all of the wealthy in this country--all of them made their money outside of the country.
as for racism--you're being a racist for somehow bringing it up.
24 October 2012, 01:12
00
simply smarter than all the trash people you mentioned combined!
24 October 2012, 01:45
03
souriya88 ? who is this again? Oh yea someone interested in lebanese politics and lebanese people, and lebanese news and lebanese everytinnnnn brejen. which is why all you arabs abroad pretend to be lebanese, so u enjoy the good reputation.... whos syria again? whos arabs? whos palestine? whos egypt or bedouin? oh yea only as terrorists in movies, thats right i almost forgot :(
24 October 2012, 01:50
34
britishpalestinian and angry souri, why don't you both go and spread your hatred somewhere else, we can't help it if God loves us more than He loves you.
24 October 2012, 04:14
14
Actually, you're right. But the the way you depict us isn't very nice.
Sure, when I see how people treat their maids -including my family- which are Nepalese, Ethiopians etc... it makes me puke. But some people are human here. Lebanese are champions of a lot of things, good or bad....
24 October 2012, 16:07
01
am not at all proud how my own my mom treats our maids - and I humbly come from a top 1% household (money, education, etc....)
24 October 2012, 06:21
02
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Lebanese_people
Check out that page. You are just frustrated and expressing your jealousy. Can you find another middle eastern Country with that big of a list? This is how many Lebanese are doing good to this world. Jealousy is a big sin.
24 October 2012, 10:00
01
And yet he looks like such a decent man. Noone could tell by looking at him that he is full of sleaze :)
24 October 2012, 10:03
02
Ya because we are better then you , wherever you go ,,,, you remain souri , ha3ak 2 cent ( 2 lira max)
24 October 2012, 16:56
21
You racists obviously don't know your history of your own people and what is means to be 'Syrian' or 'Lebanese' in terms of an ethnic group of people.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Syria
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebanon%E2%80%93Syria_relations
'Certain religious minorities within the Ottoman Empire, including the Druze and Maronite Christians, moved into Mount Lebanon because of its isolation.'
You Lebanese are a mixture of turks and arabs of different sects, some of you moving into the Lebanese region within the last 60 years. Tell me how does being born within the French-created borders of modern Lebanon make you any different genetically to a person born in Syria today. People within greater Syria have been mixing for thousands of years, the last 100-60 years doesn't set you apart.
Idiots..
24 October 2012, 19:06
00
hmmmm.... sounds like a promising future politician for Lebanon!
welcome to the team!
11 November 2012, 04:32
00
All of you above bunch of commentators ,
you are full of hatred, no wonder why wars
keep bursting all over the world,....shame
shame, shame on us.
