CAIRO: Head of Al Kalima Human Rights Center Mamdouh Nakhla filed a lawsuit against National Democratic Party (NDP) MP for the Nagaa Hammadi constituency Abdel Riheem El-Ghoul, accusing him of inciting sectarian strife that led to the recent Christmas shootings. Nakhla filed the case to Prosecutor General Abdel-Meguid Mahmoud alleging that El-Ghoul is responsible for the shootings that left six Copts and a Muslim guard dead after Christmas mass at a local church on Jan. 6. The case is requesting El-Ghoul to come forth for an investigation based on the accusations filed against him upon permission from the People's Assembly. "El-Ghoul had facilitated the release of the main suspect Mohamed El-Kamuni 11 days prior to the incident when he was imprisoned for thuggery, Nakhla told Daily News Egypt. "El-Ghoul consults El-Kamuni, who is a wanted criminal, during elections, which points to the relationship between El-Ghoul and the shootings, particularly that investigations haven't been able to pin down a logical motive for the three suspects, he added. Meanwhile, El-Ghoul denied any relations with the suspect and denied allegations that he assisted his release. "I didn't play a role in El-Kamuni's release; he doesn't work for me and I have no relations with him, El-Ghoul told Daily News Egypt in a telephone interview. "I have been representing this constituency for the past 40 years. I put a lot of effort in preventing any sectarian violence and I make no distinction between Muslim and a Copt, he added. After the shootings, El-Ghoul visited the families of the victims, along with leading figures from the governorate of Qena, to pay his condolences. "There is an aggressive campaign against me because of the upcoming elections. Opposition candidates are trying to frame me by linking my name to the perpetrators Nagaa Hammadi shootings, he said.
