Major Real Estate Fraud Trial Begins in Morocco, Involving Notaries and Officials

Prosecuted for fraud, breach of trust, violation of investment laws, forgery and use of forgeries in a case involving several million dirhams, and which has affected hundreds of victims, 21 defendants, including notaries, adouls, former commune presidents, intermediaries and a real estate developer, appeared before the Criminal Chamber of the Court of Appeal of Tétouan on Wednesday, January 4, reports the Arabic-language daily Al Akhbar.

The case dates back to 2018. At the time, several victims, including MREs, had filed a complaint against a real estate developer, his intermediaries, notaries and adouls, as well as elected officials. The judicial police of Tétouan had conducted an investigation which revealed that apartments had been sold several times to different clients, in addition to dysfunctions in terms of quality, speculation and violation of the regulations in force. At the end of the trial in first instance, two defendants were acquitted, while the other 19 received criminal sentences ranging from five to seven years in prison.