Moroccan Scandal From Agadir 2021: Belguel

The public face was Redouane Belguel, a suave figure often photographed at the Palace of the Winds with ministers. Behind the scenes, his sister Nawal Belguel managed the legal department, and his cousin Hakim Belguel headed the group’s “external relations” —a euphemism for connections with local caïds (governors) and police commissioners.

Redouane Belguel, however, had already left the country in September via Casablanca, flying to Paris on a Moroccan diplomatic passport—a privilege he claimed was obtained “legally” due to his role as an economic advisor to a former minister. The controversy over the misuse of diplomatic passports for businessmen became a secondary scandal, dubbed “Passeportgate.” As of late 2023, the Belguel case remains in a legal limbo. Here is a summary of where key elements stand: belguel moroccan scandal from agadir 2021

The land, originally designated as a protected green belt under the 2014 Agadir Urban Development Plan, was suddenly rezoned for a luxury residential project called “L’Océan Bleu.” The original owners—three generations of the Amazigh Aït Souss tribe—claimed they never signed the transfer deed. A forensic audit later revealed that their thumbprints on the 2019 sales contract were inked on a page that had been doctored to replace the original plot number (N° 874/A) with a more commercially valuable one (N° 121/P). The public face was Redouane Belguel, a suave

In late October 2021, Morocco’s Financial Intelligence Authority (ANRF) forwarded a report to the public prosecutor’s office. Two weeks later, Hakim Belguel attempted to fly from Agadir–Al Massira Airport to Istanbul with a one-way ticket. He was stopped at passport control. An Interpol red notice was not issued, but a judicial control order confined him to the Agadir region. The controversy over the misuse of diplomatic passports