CAIRO: Following a series of corruption allegations which led to his loss at the Lawyers' Syndicate elections last month, Sameh Ashour, is now facing charges from the Public Funds prosecutor. A number of lawyers have filed an investigation request to Prosecutor General Abdel Meguid Mahmoud regarding financial violations at the syndicate during Ashour's tenure as chairman. The request was based on allegations made in a report by the Central Auditing Organization which held Ashour and other syndicate officials accountable. The complaining lawyers requested that the Prosecutor General take all the necessary legal measures to embark on an investigation, and to interrogate Ashour and his alleged "partners in crime. One of the alleged violations involved granting loans to syndicate members who didn't pay them back. Lawyers and candidates during the recent elections have repeatedly accused Ashour of corruption and say they are grateful that justice is finally being served. "There were officials, MPs that are members of the ruling National Democratic Party, who went to the voting stations to support Sameh Ashour. We believed that this would swing the election results in his favor but it didn't and democracy prevailed. Today he is facing charge. If he is innocent he has nothing to fear but if he is not he'll have to be punished, said Abdel Moneim Abdel Maqsoud, lawyer and member of the Muslim Brotherhood. Ashour faced a number of legal battles that had impeded the elections. Some argued that he should not be allowed to run for a third term because it's against the law. "The Lawyers Syndicate was under Sameh Ashour's chairmanship for years and a lot has been done under his direction, said lawyer Ragaey Atteya, who contested the chairmanship during the recent elections. Ashour was unavailable for comment. But an employee at his law firm said that the office will not comment since the interrogations are still underway. But, he added, "we are sure that justice will be served and his innocent will be proven.
