Hisham Talaat Mustafa The arrest of real estate tycoon Hisham Talaat Mustafa on charges of inciting the brutal murder of Lebanese pop singer Suzanne Tamim in Dubai further reinforced the stereotypical negative image of businessmen in the psyche of Egyptian society. A member of the ruling National Democratic Party's Supreme Policies Council, deputy chairman of the Shura Council's Economic Committee, and a chairman of the Talaat Mustafa Group, the swift arrest of the well connected Mustafa took many by surprise. Mustafa is charged with paying former State Security officer Mohsen El-Sukkari $2 million to murder Tamim and with facilitating El-Sukkari's travels to the UK and the UAE as he tracked down Tamim. If convicted, Mustafa could face the death penalty. Mohamed Sayed Tantawi Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Mohamed Sayed Tantawi has always been a controversial figure for his constant battles with journalists. He made headlines several times in 2008, filing a lawsuit against the editor-in-chief of the weekly Al-Fagr Adel Hammouda and another journalist in the newspaper, Mohamed El-Baz, for allegedly slandering him in a series of articles. Tantawi was also harshly criticised for his handshake with Israeli President Shimon Peres during an inter-faith dialogue held at the headquarters of the UN in New York. He also failed to acknowledge that there was a crisis in Gaza as a result of the Israeli siege. His detractors accuse him of using religion for political purposes. Tabloids Since 2008 was heavy in crimes that involved celebrities, they served as fertile soil for tabloids to publish inaccurate, and more often than not fabricated news reports. Powerful businessman and political figure Hisham Talaat Mustafa's alleged killing by proxy of Lebanese pop singer Suzanne Tamim, and the brutal slaying of Heba, the daughter of Moroccan singer Leila Ghofran and her college girlfriend Nadine by a blacksmith became fodder for the tabloids and ensuing yellow journalism. Coverage of the Tamim murder turned so sensational that the prosecutor-general was forced to impose a ban on publishing anything related to the trial, while Nadine's family filed several lawsuits against newspapers that allegedly tarnished the image of their daughter. High-profile officials and key figures called for rigid application of the Press Code of Ethics to bring to book reporters who defame the innocent. Police brutality Policemen were among the big losers in 2008 after many allegedly violated the human rights of suspects and prisoners. On an almost weekly basis news stories appeared of policemen insulting, torturing and even beating to death a suspect or his family. The Ministry of Interior announced last week that 280 police officers and 1,164 lower-ranking members of the force had been punished in varying degrees for violating civic rights. Facebook Facebook groups created by activists were the talk of the town in 2008. Having arguably managed to orchestrate a massive civil disobedience on 6 April that coincided with a strike by workers of the Mahala Spinning and Weaving Company in northern Egypt, many Facebook activists were arrested for allegedly inciting civil disobedience. After street activism became a risky business, Facebook groups and blogs served as a safe haven for political activists and opposition groups. Real estate tax employees Having launched one of the most successful strikes in Egypt's contemporary history, tens of thousands of real estate tax employees managed to force the government into meeting their demands to be affiliated to the Ministry of Finance for higher salaries. Launched in front of the Downtown headquarters of the Ministers' Council, their strike was praised for its peaceful nature. Ahmed Shafiq Minister of Civil Aviation Ahmed Shafiq was one of the precious few government officials who won applause in the media and from the public following the opening of the world-class, third terminal showpiece at Cairo International Airport. Shafiq consistently tops the list of candidates for the next prime minister whenever speculation surfaces concerning a cabinet reshuffle. Noha Rushdi Sexual harassment has become the norm in Egypt's streets thanks to the passivity of many females who refuse to report cases to the police for fear their reputation might be harmed. However, Rushdi's insistence on taking to court a young man who harassed her led to the unprecedented sentencing of the offender to three years in prison.
