The General Court here has foiled a plan by a businessman to lay claim to a one million square meter piece of land on which an entire district has been built, by ruling that the claim is baseless and involves forgery. The businessman had earlier convinced the Briman Municipality that he was the owner of the land in Al-Atlal District by producing a title deed. He wanted all the residents removed. He claimed the title deed was for property that was issued as part of compensation for land expropriated to make way for an airport more than 30 years ago. However, the court found that the plan for the airport did not exist. Based on the court's decision, the municipality's encroachment committee has canceled its previous decision to bulldoze the entire district. Available information indicated the court will issue a final verdict within the next two months. The case was brought to court by concerned residents who demanded that the title deed be examined because they had lived in the area for many years. Residents said they were shocked at the Briman Municipality's threats to cut electricity from their Istirahas (private rest houses) and houses despite the case still pending in court. “We were surprised to see the head of the municipality touring the neighborhood with some staff threatening to remove electricity meters,” said Muhammad Al-Towairqi, a resident. “They had a neighbor's house demolished. He had been living here for more than 16 years,” he said. He said some of the residents had tried to meet the head of the municipality at his office directly after the tour, but were unable to do so. However, the head of the Briman Municipality, Jamal Abduldayem, said certain hours are allocated to meet with the citizens. “Nobody came during those hours,” he said. He said that the residents' demand to have electricity brought to their houses was something ‘I have no authority over'”.
