CAIRO: Controversial ex-president of Zamalek club Mortada Mansour denied accusations that ex-opposition leader Ayman Nour made against him. Last week prisoner and former presidential candidate Nour filed a complaint against Mansour (both inmates in Tora farm prison) claiming that Mansour verbally assaulted him in public and threatened him with murder, while holding a wrapped piece of cloth that was believed to conceal a weapon. Mansour Abdel Ghafaar, Mortada Mansour's lawyer, told Daily News Egypt Tuesday that Mansour has refuted Nour's claims, when he met him in prison. "I spoke to Mansour yesterday at about 1:30 pm. He insisted that he would never threaten a colleague or assault them verbally, said Abdel El Ghafaar. He stressed that Nour's complaint does not include any evidence or witnesses to back him up. "Let us say that all the police officers and officials in the prison are supporting Mansour, and this is just an assumption, will all the prisoners also take his side? said Abdel Ghafaar. He expects the investigations to be halted, considering that the prosecution cannot find a serious case based on logical reasoning. He also assured that Mansour will be released from prison on Oct. 6. "When I spoke to Mansour he told me he was not holding a wrapped piece of anything, it was just a book that he was reading. He told me Ayman Nour had filed complaints against many other prisoners, said Abdel Ghafaar. However, Amir Salem, Nour's Lawyer, told Daily News Egypt that Mansour is well-known for his violent attitude and aggressive behaviour towards his opponents. He said that he used to slander during parliamentary sessions when they were both MPs. Although Salem declined to give his opinion on the issue, he hoped the conflict between the two men would end. "It's very hard to imagine that Nour made up this whole thing, he added. "If Mortada had done this, then denied or refuted it, I would consider this a kind of withdrawal . in which case I hope that Ayman Nour would forgive and withdraw as well, said Salem.
