Land Scandal Rocks Tangier: Jewish Plaintiff Accuses Officials of Real Estate Fraud

On Tuesday, a hearing was held in the absence of the plaintiff. Two deputy mayors of the Gzenaya commune, a real estate developer, brokers, as well as current and former owners of the disputed property were present at the hearing. During this hearing, the plaintiff’s lawyer, registered at the Tetouan bar, was heard, as well as a land surveyor to whom the Attorney General asked specific questions about his knowledge of the exact location of the disputed property. The public prosecutor’s office decided to refer the case back to the National Brigade, in order to hear new suspects and deepen the investigation with other people whose names had already been mentioned in the investigation, in order to form a clearer picture before making a decision on the legal proceedings.

More than 20 individuals, including two deputy mayors of the Gzenaya commune, a former deputy dismissed by the Ministry of the Interior during the previous term, are involved in this case, in addition to an influential real estate developer in the region, as well as several current and former owners of the land. They are all accused of falsifying land documents, illegal land subdivision, construction without legal basis and obtaining water and electricity connection permits issued by the municipality.

During his police interview, the Jewish plaintiff revealed that he was unaware of the exact location of his land until a broker known in the region for his land sales and purchase activities pointed it out to him. According to sources close to the case, the title deed on which the plaintiff relies contains a request for land registration in downtown Tangier. The disputed land is located in Gzenaya.

After learning that the alleged accused have property titles dating back to 1936, the public prosecutor’s office ordered a technical expertise on the documents presented by the plaintiff and to review all the land purchase deeds in the possession of the current owners.