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Saad Lamjarred vs. Cairo By Night : Have they solved the problem ?

For more than a year, Cairo By Night has been on the brink of closing down after the cancellation of Saad Lamjarred’s concert on October 29, 2016 at the Palais des Congrès in Paris. The company sued the Moroccan pop singer but the case is still proceeding.

Saad Lamjarred, a Moroccan pop singer accused of sexually assaulting a French woman./Ph. DR
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A few months ago, Yabiladi revealed exclusively, the details of a lawsuit filed against Saad Lamjarred, after he allegedly refused to reimburse the company that worked on organizing his cancelled concert, scheduled for the 29th of October 2016, at the Palais des Congrès in Paris. Cairo By Night was left penniless after the pop singer got arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a French woman.

Contacted by Yabiladi, Ilhem Bouzid, Cairo By Night’s manager, said the settlement of the case is in the writing. «We were proposed something when I met his assistant. We have been waiting since the 10th of January», said the French-Moroccan businesswoman. She stressed that she «wants to trust them but it is a long process».

Ilhem told Yabiladi that the singer «will return to France» to repay the company. In more details, Ilhem was told that she «would be reimbursed for the lawyers’ fees but not for the damage».

«Summary judgments are on the going. We are not giving up until we get reimbursed. We have asked them to present an acknowledgment of debt to prove their good faith but they refused. I can’t trust them anymore».

A source close to Saad Lamjarred, contacted by Yabiladi, confirmed the account of Cairo By Night’s manager : «the case is being resolved. We made arrangements and the file is closed».

«The King is not paying for his bills»

Moreover, Ilhem Bouzid told Yabiladi that a source close to King Mohammed VI reached out to her when the story was revealed. The same source told Ilhem that «the King was pained by what happened to her but he cannot take care of the reimbursement». «His Majesty is not close to Saad Lamjarred, and he has never been so, he knows him as other artists in Morocco know the King», said Ilhem quoting the same source.

«In fact, the King did not pay for Saad Lamjarred’s expenses, the same source told me, but his mother [Nezha Regragui, ed] had a diplomatic card that protected her and she used it. She was granted this status under the reign of King Hassan II and she uses it to protect herself. She used it when her son’s case started, as she was in a precarious situation. So [the King] took care of his hotel expenses and sent him the Royal family's lawyer. But he does not pay Saad's attorney's fees in this trial. He does not pay for his housing costs. He does not support him financially in any case.»

On the other hand, the source close to Saad Lamjarred was offended when questioned by Yabiladi about what has been revealed by Ilhem : «This is not true. These are just words», adding : «You went too far with this story. The only thing I can comment on is his new song; we are trying to forget this story. We are just going to neglect this hatred campaign targeting Saad Lamjarred. He is currently in Morocco for a short visit, he launched his song, and the file is in the hands of justice».

For the record, on October the 27th, an order was issued by a judge at the Court of First Instance of Nanterre authorizing the company Cairo By Night, in charge of organizing the concert of the Moroccan star at the Palais des Congrès in Paris, initially planned on October 29, 2016, to seize «the expenses spent on his benefit from the authors, composers and music publishers» of Saad Lamjarred. A receivable valued at € 83,556. The order is «enforceable as attested by the judgment endorsed hereof» said a document sent exclusively to Yabiladi.

«A second order was issued by a judge of the district court in Paris, last November the 17th», authorizing the same company to seize a debt assessed this time at «280 000 Euros», Ilhem Bouzid, manager of Cairo By Night told Yabiladi.

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