Okaz/Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — A businessman attempted to claim ownership of a land in Salman Gulf using a forged property deed as proof. A source from the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution said the bureau has received a case of a businessman who protested against the municipality's work on a land he claimed he owned. "Jeddah Municipality workers were working on a project to expand the water network to north of Jeddah in an area called Salman Gulf. Their work was interrupted by the businessman who arrived at the construction site and claimed that the land they were working on belonged to him," said the source. The source also said the municipality plans its project maps carefully, ensuring it does not trespass on land belonging to anyone. The businessman obstructed the work flaunting a property deed. The workers reported the incident to the municipality, which obtained a copy of the deed and sent it to the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs. The ministry in turn filed a case against the businessman for forgery, said the source. The source added the Ministry of Justice opened an investigation on the property deed and concluded it was forged. "The Ministry of Justice found no records linking the businessman to the land. The deed he had states the businessman bought the land 10 years ago. Investigations revealed the deed was forged as it was not registered anywhere," said the source. The source also said the case is now with the Administrative Court. "The case is still open and investigations into whether or not the businessman was aware that the deed was forged are ongoing. The court is also looking more closely into the deed and the office which issued it," said the source.
