Today, the Antwerp Court of Appeal sentenced kickboxer Jamal Ben Saddik to 40 months in prison, half suspended, for his role in laundering more than 1.2 million euros of criminal proceeds through fraudulent employment contracts, real estate transactions, and digital payments, as part of a scheme originating in the Netherlands and orchestrated by entrepreneur Karim S., who had previously been sentenced for laundering over 2.5 million euros.
Jamal Ben Saddik, his brother Said, and co-defendant Emad N. were found to have received significant illicit funds, with police uncovering nearly 508,000 euros in cash and falsified documents during raids, and all three were barred from serving as company directors and fined due to their prior criminal records and involvement as key figures in the laundering operation.
Court Upholds Conviction: Jamal Ben Saddik and Co-Defendants Ordered to Pay Fines for Laundering Over €1 Million
The case, which has drawn significant media attention in Belgium, centers on the laundering of more than 1.2 million euros in criminal proceeds through fraudulent employment contracts, real estate transactions, and digital payments.
The investigation originated in the Netherlands, where authorities targeted Karim S., a soccer coach and entrepreneur who operated a sophisticated money laundering network. Karim S. accepted cash from individuals with dubious backgrounds and funneled it back to them as wages or loans, using false employment contracts and pay slips to make the funds appear legitimate.
In 2020, Karim S. was sentenced by an Amsterdam court to 42 months in prison for laundering over 2.5 million euros. Belgian authorities were alerted when they discovered that a significant portion of the laundered money had been transferred to Belgium, with Jamal Ben Saddik, his brother Said, and co-defendant Emad N. identified as key recipients.
During the investigation, police found two suitcases containing 507,950 euros in cash hidden in a false bottom during a raid at Emad N.’s property. The court also uncovered a range of falsified documents used to disguise the origins of the money.
All three defendants were already known to Belgian law enforcement for previous criminal activity. Emad N. had a prior conviction for drug offenses, Jamal Ben Saddik was under investigation for money laundering and had been targeted in attacks believed to be linked to the drug trade, while Said Ben Saddik had multiple previous convictions.
The Antwerp Court of Appeal emphasized the gravity of money laundering as the final link in the criminal chain, stating that crime should not pay. The court also took into account the defendants’ prior convictions and their professional roles, declaring all three professionally unreliable and barring them from serving as company directors. The laundered sum of 1.23 million euros was confiscated, and the defendants were fined, Jamal Ben Saddik to the tune of 40,000 euros, Said Ben Saddik 24,000 euros, and Emad N. 16,000 euros.
Jamal Ben Saddik’s legal troubles are not limited to this case. In 2021, he was briefly imprisoned in connection with the Sky ECC investigation, suspected of selling encrypted phones used by criminals. In 2022, his family’s properties were attacked in what was believed to be a dispute related to the drug trade. Most recently, in July 2024, Ben Saddik was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and assault linked to a conflict over a drug shipment, though he denies these allegations and has been conditionally released pending further investigation.
Despite the ongoing legal proceedings, Jamal Ben Saddik remains a prominent figure in the world of GLORY kickboxing. He has faced multiple suspensions for doping violations and in-ring altercations, but his fighting career has been marked by high-profile bouts and notable victories.
