Morsi-Era Information Minister Referred To Criminal Court

Egypt’s prosecutor general referred Wednesday Morsi-era Minister of Information Salah Abdel-Maqsoud to criminal court on charges of embezzling public property.

Abdel-Maqsoud, who is currently on the run, is accused of involvement in the theft of two TV vehicles belonging to the state-owned Egyptian Radio and Television Union (ERTU) during the pro-Morsi Rabaa Al-Adawiya sit-in that took place between 28 June and 14 August in Cairo’s Nasr City district.

Investigations show that the vehicles were stolen by pro-Morsi protesters in Rabaa Al-Adawiya and used to transmit footage of the sit-in to a satellite TV channel. Abdel-Maqsoud is accused of involvement in that incident, as he refused to pull the TV vehicles from the area, even though the broadcast crew was in danger from pro-Morsi protesters.

The incident, according to the general prosecution report, cost the ERTU an estimated loss of LE48 million. Abdel-Maqsoud is believed to have partnered with ERTU head of broadcast engineering Amr Al-Khafeef, who faces the same charges.

In early October, a Cairo prosecution office ordered the arrest of Abdel-Maqsoud.

Abdel-Maqsoud is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, from which former president Mohamed Morsi hails. He was appointed information minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Hisham Qandil in August 2012.

Following Morsi’s ouster, police have carried out a widespread crackdown on the Islamist group, arresting hundreds of members and dozens of its senior leaders, including Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie.

Source : Ahram