Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif has provided Attorney-General Abdel Maguid Mahmoud with information obtained from a US court about the Daimler-Benz bribery case, so that the latter could take the "necessary steps." The court has charged Daimler-Benz with paying bribes to government officials in several countries in which it produces automobiles, including Egypt, between 1998 and 2008. Laura Sweeney, Media spokesperson for the US Department of Justice, denied Egyptian press reports about US and Egyptian intentions to reveal the name of the Egyptian official that allegedly received illicit payment from the European automaker. She went on to say there was "nothing new" about the lawsuit, refusing to reveal the names of officials involved. Martin Winston, lawyer for Daimler-Benz, told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the company was offering to pay US$93.6 million to settle the lawsuit. He went on to warn that any newspaper that published the name of the Egyptian official involved--without prior approval from the Egyptian or US governments--would be charged with defaming the official in question. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
