CAIRO: The Nuclear Energy Authority and the Ministry of Electricity issued four contradicting declarations about a leakage crisis at the Inshas nuclear reactor. Declarations issued by such authority should be accurate. The crisis was revealed by the former head of the reactors department, Dr. Samer Mekhemar, who said a water leakage took place in one of the plant's tanks on May 25. But the president of the authority, Dr. Mohamed Taha al-Kolali, denied the news in a statement. Al-Kolali strongly criticized Mekhemar, confirming that he isn't head of the reactors department. He said Mekhemar was suspended from work for over five months and faced judicial rule of imprisonment for a month. It was a surprise when on the same day of Mekhemar's statement, the Ministry of Electricity sent another statement to a different newspaper to assure the radiation levels in the pumps room of the first reactor was normal after conducting the periodic maintenance on May 25. The head of the nuclear reactors department in Inshas, Dr. Nagib Ashoob sent another statement to Youm7 to say the Nuclear Energy Authority conducted a periodic maintenance on May 25. He acknowledged the process witnessed water leakage in the tank of the reactor. Scientists managed to control the situation. He said the inspectors of the IAEA conducted a routine inspection to the reactor. The inspectors didn't mention the reactor's fault or any radiation leakage, even with devices to measure the levels of radiation. The inspection lasted for five hours without condemning the authority or the workers of the reactor. An official in the center of the nuclear safety, Dr. Ahmed al-Messeri sent a statement to Youm7 to assure the reactor didn't operated, adding that conducting maintenance process doesn't need the approval of supervising authority. Al-Messeri said on May 25, the pumps operated for only five minutes to recycle water when scientists noted a shortage in the level of the reactor's water on May 26. He denied there is any threat to the residents of the area. The Cabinet also made contradictions when it denied any radiation leakage in Inshas' reactor. It confirmed that the plant is safe.
