CAIRO: The recent debacle over the authenticity of a program by Rotana's celebrity talk show host Hala Sarhan, has raised questions over the limits of Egyptian media's newfound freedom. Accusations were hurled against Sarhan when four girls who had appeared in an episode tackling prostitution in Egypt on her weekly "Hala Show, denied that they were prostitutes on Al Mehwar satellite channel's "90 minutes . The girls, who confessed to being professional prostitutes on "Hala Show, later alleged that Sarhan had manipulated and paid them to play that role. Sarhan's show was aired on Rotana, a satellite channel owned by Saudi business tycoon Al Waleed Bin Talal, and is known for delving into controversial issues in Egyptian society. Hailed by her supporters as a media professional with the courage to put "society issues on the table instead of under it, Sarhan was accused of tarnishing Egypt's image by bringing this taboo issue to the fore. Sarhan told the daily Al-Masry Al-Youm that she wasn't the first victim of those who want to curb freedom of the media in Egypt. "And I know I won't be the last, she said. While on the one hand the Ministry of Information is taking steps to liberate the media, on the other hand other government bodies are placing a lot of pressure on outspoken critics to limit this freedom, accusing them of tarnishing Egypt's image. Observers claim that this case is testament to a conflict within the government itself. In the contested episode of "Hala Show the "prostitutes did discuss the way police officers allegedly demanded sexual favors from them. Commentators were divided over the issue, with some saying that if the girls were real prostitutes they would have a police record but that the ministry of interior would be placing its reputation at stake if it revealed such records. Others argued that the real issue was not with the content of the show, but rather with the inaccuracy of information presented. As the managing director of Rotana, Sarhan, they believe, should be held accountable. One girl stage-named Amani told to Al-Masry Al-Youm that she willingly accepted to play the part of a prostitute for money so long as her face and voice were fuzzed, only to be shocked later that Sarhan did not keep her side of the deal and everyone recognized her. In a statement to the same paper, Sarhan denied her responsibility, saying that the production team is in charge of contacting guests. She also clarified that the LE 400 offered to the guests was compensation for their time on the program, a routine practice on all talk shows. In Al Dostour, however, she was quoted as saying that regarding future provocative programs "if they want me to shut up I will. Al Waleed Bin Talal reportedly amassed a group of the powerful lawyers in Sarhan's defense in the event that she may face trial. Currently in Dubai, Sarhan reportedly denied that she fled the country stressing that if there is an official request for her to appear in court, she would return to Cairo immediately. In the latest development, Sarhan's lawyer Waleed Abdel Mohsen gave the Cairo prosecutor seven unedited recordings of the contested episode of "Hala Show to be used as evidence in the investigation.
