This time it is not a torture scandal but rather a national security scandal ; from two week ago Al-Shorouk newspaper reported that the ministry of justice has managed to discovered a ring led by a former police general that used to sell to sell large pieces of land in Sinai to Israelis !!
Yes you read it right , it turned out to increase his pension the former general used his influence to sell land , Villa and apartments in Sinai to Israelis “with foreign passports” along with others.
The former general is “Maharallah Gabriel” who used to head South Sinai security directorate and it turned out that he traveled to Israel. Of course he has associates , among them a famous lawyer called Sahar Alexander who has escaped to London as soon as he knew that the authorities knew what they were doing.
Of course I do not have doubt that the ministry of justice is not the only player case because the main player in the backstage as usual is the GIS according to some reports. These reports are implying that General Gabriel and his associates could face espionage charges. He broke the law and sold a land not his why not to sell the country’s secrets too especially that he was holding a position in a very critical area “South Sinai”.
I must hint out that there is a presidential decree that ban the sale of any piece of land in Sinai to anyone , even the Egyptians , in fact even for the people of Sinai. You do not own a land in Sinai , you only usufruct a land there. One of the main simple demands of the people of Sinai is the right of their land ownership. This right is being withheld from them because of the national security. Ironically it was the same national security which Gabriel broke.
Strangely the press stopped following this scandal despite its importance and honestly I do not know the reason why because no one is above the law according to the ministry of interior.
This scandal in my opinion is not about treason or what ever you can call it but the misuse of power and authority , this ex-general would not do what he had done if he did not enjoy some kind of protection due to his former position. The abuse of power is the center of the story here. This is the result of making the police officers the servants of the regime not the people or the country as it should , it is natural evolution !!
This scandal is not about human rights abuse like the police stations’ torture scandals but it is not less important , this scandal is about our national security abuse .
Why should Egypt be spared by corruption? In France, I believe many of our politics (not only sarko) are only getting into politics for advantages they can retrieve from their position. Left and right. Talking about Egypt, no wonder with that kind of guys (gabriel, don't give him the right to bear my name), Gaza is behind the bars:( But, still, I believe we shall overcome some day, and I hope to see that one day;)I believe in the people of MAHFOUZ;)
ReplyDeleteUsufruct hmm the 21st. century, so the Egyptian government commits one big theft and no we wonder that someone robbed the thief :)
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me Franklin, you know "They who can give up essential liberty ..." Well that's exactly an example how does it end.
John: How is it theft when the gov for obvious national security reasons decides that at a certain part of the country lands can not be sold to any one?!! Who did the steal from?
ReplyDeleteGranted the bedouins need to be given some form of legal rights to their lands among many other things but as an Egyptian I do believe that lands in certain parts of the country should not be allowed to be the subject of selling and buying.
Gabrielle: you are making a very sad and interesting remark. I was thinking the other day, which countries actually have MPs who are poor or even living in moderate conditions like the majority of their ppl? Not even in the most democratic states of the present time. Most are wealthy somehow and most because of their posts and their connections.
@Gabrielle , at least in France people speak about it freely , my dear sometimes I do not have the same faith in the people of Mahfouz ,we have been suffering for too long more than you can imagine :(
ReplyDelete@John, who robbed who ? every country in the world has its own to put restrictions and laws according to its national security
@anonymous, I am with granting the Bedouins their rights but other than that I do not trust our businessmen