Idris Raddi Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison Following Complaint from Minister of Interior Abderrafâf Lahlou
The Sidi Slimane court has sentenced former parliamentarian and ex-leader of the Constitutional Union Party, Idris Raddi, to four years in prison. He faced charges related to the forgery of administrative documents and their use to seize communal lands belonging to the Oulad Hnane community in the administrative district of Qusba, located within the Sidi Slimane province.
Additionally, the court issued a three-year prison sentence for his brother, Karim Raddi, after both were prosecuted based on a complaint filed by Minister of Interior Abderrafâf Lahlou. This followed scrutiny of files related to applications for land use and tree cutting on lands owned by the aforementioned communal community, exceeding 102 hectares in area.
The case stems from Idris Raddi’s requests to local authorities and water and forest services for a permit to cut and exploit forest trees planted on plots of land owned by the communal community, claiming legal ownership of these lands. Investigations revealed this claim to be false, uncovering irregularities and forgeries in the property documents he relied upon.
Investigations indicated that the submitted documents were marred by legal violations, prompting the Ministry of Interior to file a legal suit against Raddi in a move seen as a direct effort by the state to address abuses in the utilization of communal lands by elected officials and influential figures.
This ruling is part of a series of judicial follow-ups targeting elected officials and business figures linked to cases of land appropriation, previously regarded as sensitive due to intertwined interests and local power dynamics.
The verdict, which has resonated within local circles, serves as a clear message that the judiciary is actively addressing cases long considered outside the realm of accountability, particularly those concerning the abuse of power and manipulation of communal land ownership, which constitutes a strategic real estate asset in many regions of the kingdom.
