Parole for fraud brother

SOLOMON MARRACHE, ONE of three Jewish brothers jailed for fraud in Gibraltar, has been released from prison on parole after serving a third of his seven-year sentence.

Solomon, Benjamin and Isaac Marrache were found guilty in 2014 after proceedings lasting 10 months — the longest trial in Gibraltar’s history.

They were first arrested in 2010 after the collapse of their international law firm left debts of £34 million.

The number of financial documents investigators had to look through meant that it took years before their case could go to trial, with the broth- ers spending time on remand in the mediaeval Moorish Castle jail before that point.

At the time of their trial, an insider said: “It was all smoke and mirrors — a complete Ponzi scheme. They had been robbing Peter to pay Paul.”

Benjamin and Solomon were found guilty of two counts of conspiracy to defraud, and Isaac of one charge. Benjamin received an 11-year sentence while Solomon and Isaac were both given seven-year terms. Isaac spent less time on remandandisnotyeteligibleforparole.

In March, the reported that the brothers’ possessions, including their art collection, were being sold off in an attempt to repay their debts.