In the early hours of this Saturday, the criminal chamber of first instance of the Court of Appeal of Casablanca pronounced a total of 24 years in prison against the accused in a case of real estate fraud involving Abdellah Boudrika, brother of the former president of the Raja of Casablanca, as well as a renowned notary.
The court thus sentenced the main defendants, A. Boudrika and the notary, to six years in prison each. These sentences concern their involvement in the falsification of documents linked to a land property called, “Blad Hadda”, located in Tit Mellil and registered under land title number 49/11384.
The same sentence was imposed on another accused, El Batoul, adopted daughter of the legitimate owner of the property, as well as on a broker named A. Salsouli. Furthermore, an intermediary, El Alami B., received three months in prison, while another intermediary, El Qarouani, was acquitted after having been previously suspected of having recruited a false “Hadda” to pretend to be the legitimate owner of the usurped property.
This case involves a total of seven people. The arrests came after a complaint filed by an heiress, accusing the suspects of having falsified documents to appropriate land belonging to her mother, the legitimate owner of the plot in question.
Boudrika’s brother and the notary were arrested at Mohammed V airport in Casablanca as they tried to leave Moroccan territory.
The case also had a tragic twist with the death of an old lady, also involved in the case, who had been used to pose as the rightful owner of the property concerned.
During previous hearings, the defendants had denied the charges against them. A. Boudrika, real estate developer, claimed not to know the other suspects. A similar statement was made by the adopted daughter of the legitimate owner in court.
In this case, A. Boudrika is accused of complicity in the falsification of official documents and their use, in accordance with the provisions of the Penal Code.
The notary, for his part, is accused of falsification of official documents and their use, including the final deed of sale, and for complicity by incitement to falsification, concealment of private documents establishing obligations and transactions.
