Syrian President Rafiq al-Assad faces charges of money laundering for possessing important properties in France and Spain, with money from an illegal source according to the French authorities, while his lawyer spoke of huge donations from the ruling family in Saudi Arabia.

In an article published on the French media website Media France, published on Wednesday, the writer said that six years after the French Sherpa Anti-Corruption Association filed a complaint against Rifaat al-Assad, Paris-based investigating judge Reno Van Rompek concluded his investigation into the case of the illegal properties of Assad (81 years) and referred to the judiciary addressed to him money laundering charges through organized gang, and the exploitation of workers without permission.

Case and details
Details in this case indicate that the first complaint against al-Assad was dated September 16, 2013, when he was accused of possessing property with illegal funds, embezzlement of public funds and drug trafficking.

When the complaint was filed, the Paris prosecutor's office did nothing and did not act to investigate.

After Sherpa filed a similar complaint on 31 January 2014, a judge was appointed to investigate charges of financial corruption faced by Assad.

He was indicted on June 9, 2016, and his money was estimated at € 90 million in France ($ 101 million) and € 600 million in Spain ($ 677 million).

The judicial investigation showed that al-Assad, through offshore companies based in tax havens, has seized major properties in France since the early 1980s.

His total property in France is estimated at 90 million euros, without 11 million euros being sold.

Property and list
According to the reports of the investigators - mentioned by Media Bart - the lion has a palace area of ​​†<†<3600 square meters, and another area of ​​†<†<480 square meters, and a castle by a stable to raise horses, and apartments and land in different places of France.

In London, Assad owned a palace from 65 rooms between 1984 and 2007 before being confiscated. He also owns an office building in Gibraltar and has large bank accounts.

Investigators also discovered that the Assad employees in Paris, responsible for his property, were paid in cash, and not authorized, as the employee withdraws the amount of one hundred thousand euros a month from the branch of Societe Generale in Paris, and then return money later to Mount Tariq any accounts were raised there.

Saudi donations
As for Assad's defense team, the money he collected was due to large donations from Saudi Arabia's royal family, something Van Rompick did not convince.

The judge considered that this was not enough to justify his property and his lifestyle, especially since several witnesses confirm that he has deviated funds earmarked for cultural institutions in Syria on his own account.

The data also indicate that he received three hundred million dollars for his exile, following his failed coup attempt.

Past and record
Assad was the head of the government militias called "defense brigades" was involved between 1979 and 1982 in numerous massacres at the height of bloody clashes between the authorities and the Muslim Brotherhood, and was then called "the butcher of Damascus."

In 1984, he attempted to overthrow his brother, Hafez (the father of President Bashar) during his illness, but failed to do so and exile abroad, settling in Geneva and Paris.

In 1992, Assad returned to Syria to attend the funeral of his mother, but left her again in Paris in 1998 after being held under house arrest.

The author says Hafez al-Assad, after his brother Refat was forced to return to exile, arrested his supporters and destroyed his property to secure the succession of his son Bashar to power. Since then, Rifaat has lived in London and presents himself as an opponent of the regime. He has four wives, With 200 people.