Egypt joins Geneva negotiations on Global Plastics Treaty, calls for urgent agreement    Egypt delivers over 30 million health services through public hospitals in H1 2025    Madinet Masr in talks for three land plots in Riyadh as part of Saudi expansion    Egypt's PM tells Palestinian PM that Rafah crossing is working 24/7 for aid    Egypt, Japan discuss economic ties, preparations for TICAD conference    Real Estate Developers urge flexible land pricing, streamlined licensing, and dollar-based transactions    Egypt's Sisi pledges full state support for telecoms, tech investment    EGP inches down vs. USD at Sunday's trading close    EGX launches 1st phone app    Escalation in Gaza, West Bank as Israeli strikes continue amid mounting international criticism    Egypt recovers collection of ancient artefacts from Netherlands    Egypt, UNDP discuss outcomes of joint projects, future environmental cooperation    Egypt harvests 315,000 cubic metres of rainwater in Sinai as part of flash flood protection measures    After Putin summit, Trump says peace deal is best way to end Ukraine war    Egypt, Namibia explore closer pharmaceutical cooperation    Jordan condemns Israeli PM remarks on 'Greater Israel'    Renowned Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim dies at 88    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Egypt's Sisi, Sudan's Idris discuss strategic ties, stability    Egypt's govt. issues licensing controls for used cooking oil activities    Egypt to inaugurate Grand Egyptian Museum on 1 November    Egypt's Sisi: Egypt is gateway for aid to Gaza, not displacement    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



First fruit of protests: corruption revealed
Published in The Egyptian Gazette on 10 - 02 - 2011

CAIRO - The uprising that started on January 25 against corruption, oppression and one-party dominance has already borne fruit, as far as results on the ground indicate. One such gain, according to observers, is the opening of files that reveal the abuse of power.
They had previously been sealed and the protests of honest men ignored. Now the Prosecutor General is investigating the cases of the three exministers Habib el-Adly, Zoheir Garranah and Ahmed el-Maghrabi, who were in charge of the Interior, Tourism and Housing portfolios respectively.
Together with Ahmed Ezz, iron and steel tycoon and former liaison officer of the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), they are banned from travelling and their bank accounts have been frozen.
Garranah and Maghrabi were originally businessmen, required to quit running their private businesses when taking the oath, in order to prevent a conflict of private and public interests.
The Nazif Cabinet of 2005 included other businessmen who were thought to be capable of running State affairs competently.
However, a scenario of conflicting interests started to unfold gradually, and despite insinuations of corrupt deals here and there, the ruling elite turned a blind eye.
The former Interior minister Habib el-Adly is a different case; he is held responsible for the destruction of public and private property on January 28, following the security vacuum created by the sudden withdrawal of the police on that fateful day.
According to Al-Shorouq independent daily, President Mubarak informed el-Adly of his decision to assign the Army to take control of the streets, much to the dismay of el-Adly.
The independent Paper quoted sources stating that el-Adly walked out of his office on that day and went to State Security headquarters next door.
But a few hours later, the presidential Office ordered him to return to the Interior Ministry.
It was too late; in the absence of law and order thugs and members of angry mobs had set fire to public buildings, mainly police stations, the NDP premises and courts. Supermarkets and shops were looted, people on the streets and in their homes got intimidated.
The same sources say that the value of real estate Ahmed el-Maghrabi laid hands on in the course of five years is worth more than LEl00 billion.
It is reported that Maghrabi founded a company back in 2003 when he was Minister of Tourism in the first Nazif Cabinet. When the Housing Ministry was assigned to him two years later, he gave his company access to vast areas of land at very low prices, enabling it to become the third-largest real estate company in Egypt.
Maghrabi is now facing accusations of acquiring money illegally, profiteering, making business deals by taking advantage of his official post, and therefore breaching article 58 of the Constitution.
Palm Hills, a joint venture between Maghrabi and Mansour (Minister of Transport in the first Nazif Cabinet), is these days involved in 32 projects in highly promising areas across the country.
As for Garranah, he is facing charges of squandering public funds.
Preliminary investigations reveal that the former minister, whose family is in the travel business, exempted 500 tourism companies from paying licence fees, depriving the State coffers of LE1 billion, according to a judicial source.
Supervisory reports also speak of millions of square metres of Stateowned land in Red Sea and Sharm el-Sheikh areas, sold to his companies at prices far lower than their market value. Garranah's fortune is estimated at LEl0 billion.
Ahmed Ezz was delegated by the NDP leadership to steer the 2005 and 20l0 elections. He committed cardinal mistakes that resulted in an unprecedented opposition-free Parliament.
He is also accused of monopoly practices, whereby his companies controlled 66 per cent of the reinbar market, although the law states that the limit is 25 per cent.
The Consumer Protection Agency, affiliated to the Ministry of Trade, released a report over a year ago, confirming his monopoly.
Ezz is also facing the charge of purchasing the Government-run company el- Dekheila Steel for an extremely low price, although as a member of Parliament he was supposed to stay clear of such suspicious deals.
According to reports already in the Prosecution General's possession, Ezz made skyrocketing gains, raising the profits of his company EZZ Steel from LE 180 million in January 2005 to LE 2.2 billion in September of the same year.


Clic here to read the story from its source.