Morsi Will Not Heed Court Verdict On Prosecutor-General

Egypt’s presidency will not reconsider the decision to appoint Talaat Abdullah as prosecutor-general, despite a court verdict overruling his appointment, a source from the presidential office told Ahram’s Arabic news website Sunday.

Abdullah is facing controversy after an Egyptian court reversed on Wednesday President Morsi’s 22 November decision to dismiss former prosecutor-general Abdel-Meguid Mahmoud from his post and appointed Abdullah.

The source explained that Morsi had met with a group of legal consultants, who told him that the court verdict was non-enforceable.

They asserted that, while the court overturned the 22 November declaration, the constitution states that the “consequences” of that declaration – for example the appointment of a new prosecutor-general – remained in effect.

The source ruled out the possibility that an appeal on Wednesday’s court verdict will be rejected.

“Worst case, the case will be referred to the Supreme Constitutional Court to review the legitimacy of the prosecutor-general’s situation,” he said.

A source close to Talaat Abdullah told Ahram Online Saturday that Abdullah is currently preparing an appeal against the court verdict.

Morsi’s November declaration caused uproar among the Egyptian opposition and the judiciary.

Critics argued that its provisions had granted the president both executive and legislative powers. Morsi annulled the declaration in December, but the effects of the declaration are still legally valid.

Many opposition groups are demanding the dismissal of Abdullah on the grounds that he was appointed by the president not by the Supreme Judicial Council, as dictated by Egypt’s legal system.

Ahram