Hamdi al-Fakharani, also known as “the Madinaty man,” won first place in the “Egyptian warrior” prize category, presented by popular movement Egyptians Against Corruption, for his contributions to the battle against the squandering of public funds. The prize follows al-Fakharani's successful lawsuit against the state over a land sale to the infamous Madinaty luxury housing project, owned by ruling party member Hisham Talaat Mostafa, recently convicted for the 2008 murder of Lebanese pop star Suzanne Tamim. In his lawsuit, al-Fakharani claimed that the land had been sold by the state to Mostafa at fire-sale prices. Second place in the award category went to Nagi Rashad, a worker at the South Cairo Grain Mill, who filed a court case demanding that the state raise the national minimum wage. As a result of his lawsuit, Rashad lost his job--his sole source of income--but nevertheless succeeded in winning a historic court ruling. Third place, meanwhile, went to engineer Mohamed Abu Shadi, for his efforts against corrupt import practices. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
