Voting preparations A WEEK ahead of the public referendum over the constitution, the Higher Judicial Electoral Commission (HJEC) issued a decree allocating the main electoral committees where the referendum results from branch committees will be collected and sorted out. By means of the decree, each of the 352 main committees in 27 governorates will be headed by a judge. Members of judicial bodies will be assigned with supervising branch committees. The Justice Ministry is expected to send names of judges who will supervise the referendum to the HJEC. According to HJEC members, 53 million Egyptians are eligible to cast their vote during the two-day referendum. Islamist leader wanted THE JUSTICE Ministry on Tuesday sent a request to Qatari authorities to hand over Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya leader Assem Abdel-Maged who fled the country following the ouster of former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. Abdel-Maged, along with dozens of top MB leaders, faces charges of inciting violence. He was notorious for regularly delivering heated speeches during which he publicly threatened anti-Morsi protesters with acts of violence. Making an appearance in Qatar, Abdel-Maged warned in December that the “military coup” ruling Egypt will fail. Judges questioned DOZENS of judges belonging to the Judges for Egypt and the Independence of the Judiciary movements were summoned to the High Judiciary House on Tuesday to hear charges that they had broken a judiciary law by interfering in political life. Judge Mohamed Fahmi, who was delegated by the Appeals Court chief justice, will also resume investigations with former prosecutor-general judge Talaat Abdallah who faces accusations of placing cameras and eavesdropping equipment in the prosecutor's office to inform MB leaders with details of meetings. The accusation leveled at Abdallah was filed by prosecutor Hisham Barakat, who alleged he found spying equipment in the office. Abdallah was appointed by ousted president Mohamed Morsi, who dismissed the Mubarak-era prosecutor Abdel-Meguid Mahmoud in a step that angered judges. News terror cell SECURITY forces on Sunday arrested a four-man news team working for Al-Jazeera at the Marriott Hotel in Zamalek. After Al-Jazeera bureau was shut down in August, the news agency set up its offices in two rooms in the hotel. According to security forces, the arrested were part of a Marriott terror cell that consorted with the Muslim Brotherhood to conduct “illegal interviews” and deliver “false news”. “State Security received information that a member of the MB used two suites in the hotel to hold meetings with other members of the organisation and turned the suites into a press centre,” according to a statement issued by the Interior Ministry. “They aired live broadcasts without permits of news that harms homeland security, spreading rumours and false news to Qatar's Al-Jazeera channel”, the statement noted. Members of Al-Jazeera team have been summoned to the State Security Prosecutor's office in Cairo's Fifth Settlement for investigation. Doctors strike DOCTORS staged a partial work stoppage on Wednesday to press for financial demands. The stoppage was preceded by a press conference on Tuesday at the headquarters of the Doctors Syndicate, during which doctors noted that the move aimed at achieving a balanced medical system which maintains the rights of both doctors and patients.
