HIBAPRESS – Abdellatif Baraka
After years of controversy and litigation, the outlines of a breakthrough began to emerge in the case of the "Casa Park" project in Sidi Maarouf, following a court ruling and the advancement of a settlement process between the concerned parties.
The Criminal Court in Ain Sebaa sentenced real estate developers Sadr Eddine Benhima and Hassan Benabdelali to eight months in suspended prison, with their release, in a case that sparked widespread protests among the bookers due to the delay in delivering the project since 2016. The case erupted after complaints from customers who demanded the return of their money or the delivery of their apartments, amid accusations of forgery and providing misleading data and selling real estate under seizure. However, the defense succeeded in refuting these charges, considering that the data was legally available, and that the sales operations took place before any precautionary measure. The defense also stressed that the dispute is commercial in nature, confirming the allocation of the bookers' funds to finance the project, with compensation for hundreds of customers, whether through the judiciary or amicably. In parallel with the ruling, negotiations are underway to settle the case, through an agreement that provides for the intervention of a Moroccan business bank to acquire the project, in exchange for settling debts of nearly 370 million dirhams in favor of "Attijariwafa Bank". The plan is based on the relaunch of the works, starting with the first phase, which has reached a completion rate of 60%, while ensuring the rights of the bookers between compensation or the completion of the purchase. Although the case has not been finally closed yet, especially with the possibility of appeal and the divergence of the positions of the affected, the indicators of an amicable solution are closer than ever, which may put an end to one of the most prominent controversial real estate files in Casablanca.
