DR ‹ › A luxury palace in Marrakech was at the center of nearly $27.7 million in wire transfers authorized by Jeffrey Epstein just days before his arrest in July 2019, according to U.S. Justice Department documents reported exclusively by Reuters on Wednesday. The funds were processed by American multinational financial services company Charles Schwab on behalf of Epstein's company, Southern Trust, as part of an attempt to buy the Bin Ennakhil palace in the Palmeraie. Between June 26 and July 9, 2019, less than ten days before his arrest, Southern Trust ordered transfers totaling about $27.7 million to the Morocco-based realtor handling the sale. An initial transfer of 11.15 million euros was later reversed after «terms on the real-estate deal had not been agreeable», according to the documents. On July 4, Epstein personally signed a new request to send $14.95 million for the same property, even though the account did not yet have sufficient funds. Schwab later told U.S. authorities it had «concerns» about the real estate transfers amid negative media coverage surrounding Epstein and cited fears he could be a «flight risk». The brokerage filed a suspicious activity report with the U.S. Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) on July 13, a week after Epstein's arrest on federal sex trafficking charges. Marc Leon, the Marrakech-based realtor involved in the transaction, told Reuters that Epstein had first attempted to purchase Bin Ennakhil as early as 2011, with negotiations continuing over several years. He defended his role, stating: «Epstein had been convicted of sex crimes (in 2008) and had served his sentence. There was therefore nothing to prevent him from attempting to purchase property in Morocco. We had no way of knowing that he had continued his terrible crimes». The 4.6-hectare estate includes a hammam, dozens of marble fountains, vast gardens with over 2,000 palm trees, and luxury interiors. Negotiations involved associates, including Karyna Shuliak, and local intermediaries. At one point, his offer was described as «the most serious». The deal ultimately collapsed. "The property has since been sold to another buyer," said Marc Leon, the Marrakech-based realtor. Epstein died in jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial.
