JEDDAH — A number of land brokers and middlemen are utilizing the names of famous personalities to sell government land they have encroached on, Makkah daily reported. The head of the encroachments removal committee, Sameer Basabrain, said the committee has contacted a number of well-known people who have denied any knowledge of such encroachments. Some, upon learning that their names were being wrongly used, demanded that the swindlers receive harsh punishments and many have lodged official complaints. “The committee is planning deterrent procedures against realtors who are accused of encroaching government land outside the residential zone of the city. Such swindlers develop the land, divide it into small plots and provide would-be buyers with false documents to convince them of the legitimacy of the sale,” he explained. Basabrain said encroachments of government land have decreased over the past few years after the committee was empowered to deal with encroachments. “The committee reports directly to the governor and is entrusted with monitoring and removing encroachments outside city limits. Encroachments inside city limits are the responsibility of the municipality and its branches,” he added. In their defense, middlemen and land brokers said they are trying to provide citizens with reasonably priced land to overcome rising costs of properties. They refuse to be called “land thieves” and claim that if they had half the resources of the Ministry of Housing, they would solve the housing crisis in the country and bring down the high costs of properties.
