Casablanca Land Scandal: Officials Implicated in Contested Urban Property Deals

The ministerial department contests the legality of the documents that allowed this transfer, particularly judgments obtained in 2018 that it considers flawed with irregularities. In its appeal, the ministry points out a lack of valid power of delegation for the signatories of the transfer, as well as the alleged use of contested proxies and overvalued land assessments by the beneficiary company, with possible complicity of municipal agents.

The financial stakes are considerable. The daily newspaper Assabah reports an estimated overall damage of several million dirhams. The case could lead to the cancellation of land titles if the ministry’s arguments are accepted by the administrative court, where hearings are ongoing.

In addition to municipal officials and the representative of the real estate company, a bank executive is also implicated. Other unofficial sources report the alleged obscure role of a former mayor of Casablanca in this case. Faced with this situation, the current president of the municipal council has expressed his intention to re-examine these past decisions, describing the case as "inherited" and "legally flawed".