CRIET : a real estate agent on trial for attempting to sell social housing in Ouèdo online

The defendant is accused of posting online ads offering the social housing units of Ouèdo for sale, located in the commune of Abomey-Calavi.

According to the prosecution, he had published several offers, including a unit priced at 22,880,000 F CFA, or an alternative payment option of 97,000 F CFA per month for 25 years. These ads suggested the units were available for purchase even though their sale had not yet been officially entrusted.

Summoned before the Court, the real estate agent denied the charges. He says he simply wanted to “attract the attention of potential clients”, insisting that the posts were made before the official announcement assigning the sale of the units to the Société immobilière et d’aménagement urbain (SImAU). As soon as the government confirmed it, he says he removed all the listings.

In his statement, the defendant also mentioned a previous case from 2008-2009 in Arconville, where a foreign developer had tasked him with finding buyers for social housing. He says he believed he was in a similar situation regarding the Ouèdo project.

Unexpected requisitions: the deputy special prosecutor said he had not found the intentional element required to qualify the act as fraud. The magistrate stated that no evidence demonstrates fraudulent intent on the part of the defendant. He therefore asked the Court to acquit him and release him.

The public prosecutor asks for an acquittal

The defense lawyer welcomed this stance, noting that his client never tried to deceive anyone and that no offense has been established. The verdict is expected on 22 December 2025.