Governors Move to Address Real Estate Corruption in Moroccan Municipalities
Hespress has learned from well-placed sources that regional governors and provincial authorities have begun reviewing the potential activation of Article 64 of the Local Authorities Organizational Law. This measure is intended to accelerate the dismissal of several municipal council heads suspected of collusion with influential property developers. According to leaked documents, these developers have gained control over the balance of power between ruling and opposition members in elected councils, using their influence inside municipal departments to push through decisions that serve their financial interests.
Reports from regional administrative affairs departments triggered urgent instructions from the Ministry of the Interior’s central offices. These directives demand immediate measures to shield municipal administrations from increasing pressure by real estate lobbies. The investigations highlight questionable deals and internal settlements among council members, brokered by developers with vested interests in specific municipalities. Evidence also points to financial irregularities, including fake signatures, suspicious bank transfers, and involvement of dubious companies in transactions with council presidents.
Developers Exploit Urban Planning Laws to Reclaim Public Lands
Public affairs reports reveal further manipulation by these developers, who, with support from municipal leaders, submitted requests to expropriate lands previously relinquished for public infrastructure projects. These actions target areas designated for development in official urban planning documents under Law 12.90. Before the legal deadline of ten years expires—after which unused land can revert to private ownership—developers are exploiting the law to pressure owners into selling their unused land at reduced prices.
In many cases, officials have been accused of directing public investment projects, such as street lighting, road works, and utility networks, toward specific zones where they or their associates hold property. These land parcels had been subdivided and then reclassified—often through questionable urban plan modifications—as residential or industrial zones. This strategy significantly boosted their market value, enabling developers to reap considerable profits through resale.
Shocking Allegations of Bribery and Insider Deals Emerge
Hespress sources also uncovered allegations implicating municipal presidents in outright land speculation. Some reportedly forced developers to hand over valuable plots in strategic locations. These plots were then developed by companies owned by the officials’ relatives and marketed as part of the national direct housing subsidy program. The corruption didn’t stop there. The same officials allegedly profited from withdrawals (désistement) of reserved plots in ongoing subdivisions, earning between 100,000 and 200,000 dirhams per plot in illicit commissions.
