Egypt's information minister Osama Heikal on Sunday submitted his resignation from his post, cabinet spokesman Nader Saad said. In press statements carried by state-run MENA agency, Saad said Heikal submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, citing personal reasons. The cabinet did not provide further details on the reasons for Heikal's resignation. However, it comes amid a wave of accusations by lawmakers in the past months against the minister of negligence, poor performance and financial violations. Heikal, 56, was appointed Minister of State for Information in December 2019. Heikal was accused last month of disrespecting the parliament after he refused twice to respond in person to accusations by a parliamentary committee on his poor performance and financial and administrative irresponsibility in violation of the constitution and the law. The report recommended that the information ministry be scrapped because it is redundant and a waste of public money. Well-informed sources told Ahram Online in March that parliamentary questioning of Heikal could end up in a motion of no confidence being passed and that Heikal may well choose to resign from office to avoid such a scenario.
