Egypt reclaims millions of meters of state land

CAIRO – 25 May 2017: A villa owned by former Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif in Giza was demolished Wednesday, amid a state campaign against squatters that has reclaimed millions of meters of land seized by businessmen, actors and former officials.

The order was carried out by the Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources, further removing another villa owned by businessman Abbas Abu el-Enein and a piece of land belonging to Nazif’s heirs.

The state campaign against squatters started early May, after President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi had ordered the army and police to investigate and reclaim all illegally acquired state lands, during the Youth Conference in Ismailia on April 27.

President Sisi also stated on May 17 that the emergency law, approved by the Parliament, would be decisively applied to land transgressions.

Upon the president’s instructions, the Ministry of Interior launched several security campaigns to reclaim state land seized illegally across the country.

Governor of Matrouh, on the Egyptian borders with Libya, revealed Wednesday that over 16 million meters of land, worth a total of LE 7, 7 billion ($426,592,821) have been restored by the governorate.

Those included lands devoted to unexecuted projects, and others that had been illegally acquired by famous figures, such as businessman Mahmoud el-Gammal, father-in-law of former President Mohamed Hosny Mubarak’s son, as well as Egyptian actress Yousra and director Inas el-Degheidy.

The restored lands are set to be offered to new investors, to accomplish 28 new projects, the governor stated.

In New Cairo and Badr City, in Cairo governorate, the state restored over 62,180 square meters of land and over seven villas early May.

Governor of Suez also announced that they have restored 75 percent of the illegally acquired state land in the governorate, making up a total of 12.3 feddans (1 feddan= 1.038 acres). Another security campaign in Beheira, north of Egypt, recovered 191 pieces of illegally possessed state land.

Mubarak-era Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif was acquitted of corruption charges in 2016, overturning a five-year sentence issued in the aftermath of January 25 revolution.