Former Commercial Director of Egypt's state-run Radio and TV Union (ERTU) Nadia Sobhi has been barred from leaving the country by the attorney general. Sobhi is accused of selling Egyptian music heritage copyrights to Rotana music channel, and has been charged with wasting public funds. The Administrative Control Authority found several violations in the contract she signed with Rotana, one of the Arab world's largest media corporations. The violations include bypassing legal affairs department approval and selling copyrights for prices not listed in union by-laws. “She sold rights for US$10 per minute while the list stipulates US$500,” said ACA member Talal Sidki. As a result, according to Sidki, Sobhi wasted public funds worth LE10 million. “She also rented out the RTU studios for free.” In May, Al-Masry Al-Youm reported on a number of stories concerning irregular deals between the ERTU and private production labels. Mohsen Gaber, owner of the Alam el-Fan production company, said he was the first to contact the relevant authorities about the alleged relationship between the ERTU and Rotana. The ERTU is also accused of selling Egyptian movies to satellite channels at reduced and, therefore illegal, rates. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
