Sayyed Madyan, head of the Red Sea branch of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA), filed a report with Mohamed Ramadan, head of the Hurghada Prosecution, accusing the owner of north Hurghada's Salem Resort of encroaching on the beach and carrying out activities harmful to marine life. In his report, Madyan said that the Lebanese resort owner used sand, stones, and rubble to fill in parts of the sea in front of his resort. Additionally, Madyan accused the businessman of falsifiying approvals and permits from the EEAA, and posessing fake permits for the use of trucks and heavy equipment. Ramadan heard the regional EEAA's testimonies, along with testimonies from the head of the Red Sea Protectorates Authority and a number of employees from both agencies. The employees confirmed that they did not issue the permits in question, and that, furthermore, the regional branch of the EEAA does not have the authority to issue such permits. The report said that 2,590 meters of water were filled, and the resort owner should pay a fine of around US$311,000. The prosecution has ordered the formation of a technical committee comprised of environment experts to give its opinion, and has summoned the resort owner for testimony. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
