CAIRO: Yousri Fouda, the host of “Akhr Kalam” on ONTV shocked viewers with an interview and surprise footage of Ahmed al-Fadaly allegedly standing on the side of those attacking protesters on February 2, during the height of the 18-day protest that ousted the former government. Fadaly, the head of the legislative committee of the National Reconciliation Committee – which aims to open dialogue with the different political groups in the country – and a legal consultant, had long championed himself as a protector of the people, but Fouda's program showed what could be damning footage of the politician smoking a cigarette and standing watch as armed assailants pass by heading toward cornered protesters on a Cairo bridge. February 2 was the day of the infamous camel battle. Fadaly, who was watching the footage for the first time, denied any relation to the attackers and said repeatedly that he is a sponsor and protector of the protesters. Fouda then confronted him over his body language and apparent calmness in the images being shown. Fadaly insisted that he was standing there as his working office is “steps away” from the bridge. The infamous Camel Battle happened on February 2 early in the day and began when flocks of pro-government attackers stormed the Tahrir Square riding horses and camels, carrying weapons, including swords, machetes, knives and guns and chased after protesters, killing scores throughout the day. The footage aired showed Fadaly standing peacefully on the right side of the bridge, on the side where thugs were flooding into the center of the battle chatting with a young man, also in a suit, and then lighting his cigarette and talking more with a street vendor before turning his back to the ongoing heated battle and standing still. Fouda then followed the Fadaly interview with the team behind the footage in his third segment to talk of the circumstances on how they went about filming that day. Shady al-Adl, co-founder of Bukra Media Studies Center where the footage were shot from. “We started filming at 10 am and we saw the situation. He [Fadaly] was standing at the side of the thugs and they passed by him without even asking who he is,” al-Adl told Fouda. “Whoever tried to pass to the side where he, Fadaly, was standing would have been hit roughly to the ground. “We will file a report to the General Prosecutor against Fadaly and we will continue to identify others in the footage we shot,” he added. Mohamed Khalil, director and cinematographer with Bukra, also chimed in, saying, “we had 12 hour shifts and we didn't stop filming and once we started to go through we had shot 55 gigs of material and it took us a long time to go through.” “The day of the camel battle was the hardest as people were not fighting the police or the security forces but you are fighting people without an identity, just other Egyptians,” said Adl. “Before we judge those who were bought to hit we must get those who ordered and paid them to do so.” The young men said they are heading to the General Prosecutor office Tuesday morning to take legal action against Fadaly. Around 25 former politicians affiliated with the deposed National Democratic Party are facing charges of murder and of paying others to commit mass murder. The leading name in the case and who the court named as the mastermind behind the street battles is Safwat al-Sharif, former Speaker of Parliament and a close aid of former President Hosni Mubrak. BM
