MENA House: Egypt as "A Nation Without Trust"?

In a heated discussion, television commentators Amr Adeeb and Amal Othman raised the subject  "A Nation Without Trust" (Watan bila thika).

The reason for this debate? In recent weeks, headlines have featured events bringing into question the integrity of the judiciary, medical examiners, and police forces.  In the words of  Adeeb, this is a "catastrophe".

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Case 1: The Beating of Khalid Saeed

On 6 June, Khalid Saeed was assaulted and murdered by, according to eyewitnesses, two policemen.  Al Masry Al Youm obtained exclusive material, including more eyewtiness accounts and testimonies revealing the attack caused severe bruising and bleeding.  Pictures of the victim were then released matching  the description.

The events that followed that raised even more eyebrows throughout the nation.  Saeed's brother Ahmed claims that, informed of his brother's death, he went to the morgue.  Officers refused to let him enter and took him to the police station, where he was given a story completely different that of all the eyewitnesses.

The prosecutor interrogated the medical examiner at the morgue, "Afify Abdel Al Afify", who claimed that there was  a "bruise under Saeed’s left eye and scratches on his lips, but no other injuries".  The examiner added that the victim's mother and brother did in fact visit the morgue, however, he "forgot" to add this to the visitors' logbook.

A new medical report is being written to confirm/revoke the previous account.

Case 2: Lawyers vs. Judges

Two lawyers were convicted and sentenced to five-year prison terms for assaulting the district attorney in the Nile Delta city of Tanta, northwest of Cairo.  It is alleged that the lawyers slapped the prosecutor.  However, accounts of the event differ over who initiated the scuffle.

At the hearing, a judge ruled in favour of the prosecutor, a decision which defense lawyers claim was biased.  This led to numerous protests against prosecutors, with lawyers handing out leaflets condemning judges of not being objective and failing to do their job properly.

While the judges, defence lawyers and prosecutors argue amongst themselves, it is the Egyptian citizen who is affected. Videos show empty courtrooms, in contrast to the normal rush of judicial business.

In the words of Adeeb, the Egyptian citizen is being abused twice over.  First, their legal dealings are stalled because of the dispute within the judiciary.  Secondly, their trust is being killed.

Returning to the Khalid Saeed case, what happens if the final report is published and it states that he was in fact murdered by policemen? This means that police officers and the forensice medical examiner can change their reports from one extreme to another.  Whom does an Egyptian citizen trust?

What on the other hand happens if the report concludes that Saeed was not killed, contrary to all eyewitness accounts and photographic evidence of the assault? Again, whom should an Egyptian citizen trust?

MENA House: "The Popular Coalition to Support Gamal Mubarak"

The streets of Cairo have been covered with posters of the face of Gamal Mubarak and the slogan "Gamal Mubarak...Gamal Masr" ("Gamal Mubarak, 'The beauty' of Egypt")

The aim of the newly-formed Popular Coalition to Support Gamal Mubarak is to promote and mobilise support for Mubarak in the upcoming Presidential elections in 2011 and to  encourage him to stand.

The co-ordinator of the group, Magdi al Kurdi, claims that it has numerous supporters from a wide variety of backgrounds. He has asserted that there are already 4000 participants and that there is backing from well-established individuals from different political parties. (Magdi al Kurdi resigned from the leftist Tagammu party to support Mubarak.)

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However, whilst there is much talk of Gamal's situation, the son of current President Hosni Mubarak has reiterated on numerous occasions that he does not want to run for the presidency. In a rare interview, with CNN's Fareed Zakaria, Gamal answered, "Would you run for the Presidency in Egypt in the upcoming 2011 elections?" with an articulate, resounding, and convincing "No!".

So what is the point of this new group? Asked what would happen if  Gamal refused to put himself forward in 2011, El Kurdi responded that the organisation would continue to encourage Mubarak to rethink his position.

On a side note: Ali el Deen el Helal, Youth Minister and member of the National Democratic Party, has stated openly in the People's Assembly that it is "rude" to be discussing an era after Hosni Mubarak:

1) Egypt is still 16 months from the elections.

2) Discussion is impolite until Hosni Mubarak releases an official statement that he will not be running in the election.

3) Should Mubarak step down, there is no reason to worry "Egypt will find many more intelligent potential candidates".

One wonders if Ali el Deen el Helal thinks the Popular Coalition to Support Gamal Mubarak is rude and impolite in its loud consideration of Egypt's future. And perhaps one wonders what the leader of that coalition, el Helal, makes of the activities of his fellow members of the People's Assembly.

MENA House: Egypt and the Mercedes Benz Bribery Case

Daimler AG, makers of Mercedes Benz automobiles, was charged on 23 March with violating US bribery laws by "generously" showering foreign officials with gifts of luxury cars and large cash sums to close off business deals.

Daimler plans to pay $185 million to settle charges by the US Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission while its German and Russian units plan to plead guilty to the criminal charges.

At least states are allegedly involved in a long-standing practice of receiving bribes from Daimler, including Russia, China, Turkey, Nigeria, Iraq and Egypt. Official documentation filed in the US court includes evidence of an armored car given to an official in Turkmenistan and another to a Liberian official.

So where does Egypt come into this?

On 13 June, Attorney General Abdel Meguid Mahmoud requested "more accurate " information from US authorities regarding the Daimler AG case. Whilst there is widespread discussion that an Egyptian official received bribes, there has been no official documentation or evidence to prove the allegations.

On Tuesday, the editor-in-chief of Al Masry Al Youm, Magdi Galad, boldly stated on national television that he knew the identity of the Egyptian "senior official" who received bribes from Daimler.  He added that if he publishes the information he has, he would be put in prison.

Galad's statement was made as security sources said that the documents which could have aided in the identification of the Egyptian official involved in the bribery have "disappeared".

Galad reassured the public that when the official document is "found", the nation will find out who the mystery man is.

And so we wait a bit longer....

MENA House: The Media and "Solving Corruption" in Egypt

There has been a journalist's revolution in Egypt.The freedom to publish stories exposing event has occupied TV news channels all over the country and the Middle East.

Private television stations such as Al Hayat, Al Masreya, Mehwar, and Dream are the most watched by Egyptian viewers.  Every evening from 7 p.m., the "information" programmes begin. They can last anything from 30minutes to two hours. All contiain references to "events"; often the stories will consist of some element of corruption.

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On 16 June, on 90 Minutes on Mehwar,  Mo’tez el Demerdash asked, "Can the media solve corruption?"

To discuss that question, El Demerdash invited three editors-in-chief of leading newspapers in Egypt and the Middle East: Magdi Galad of Al Masry al Youm, Mohammed Salah of the London bureau of Al Hayat, and Momtaz Al 'Ot of Akhbad al Youm.

Initially, the topic was access to medical treatment in Egypt.  Whilst the Egyptian Government provides free treatment, sometimes a contact is needed to obtain medical care.  Mohammed Salah pointed out that, in provinces in Upper Egypt, an individual had to go to the Mayor of the Province and then the Mayor informed the local hospital that his visitor had to be admitted.

Magdi Galad countered that it is not your basic human right, if you are poor, just to get sick.  El Demerdash asked, "Do you mean that if you are below the poverty line your chances of gaining access to medication and medical treatment is slim?" All in the room nodded in agreement.

El Dermedash then asked, "Can we as journalists fight corruption?"

Mohammed Salah vehemently argued that, in recent years, corruption has become more prominent and no one is innocent of it. For example, if you are pulled over while driving, you can give a "small tip" and be on your way.  When going to an office to complete a transaction, in many places it is necessary to pay a small sum on the side to complete the work.

Magdi Galad appeared to agree with Salah, but Momtaz al ‘Ot disapproved of the other journalists and newspaper,s claiming that they were out to get the Government.  He asked, "Why do the newspapers and journals not cover the good news, for example when there’s a pay rise in some national companies and civil service jobs? A pay rise of 60EGP to 120EGP is a significant increase, thus it should be covered."  Mohammed Salah responded, "Whether the individual receives 60EGP OR 120EGP, both figures are below the poverty line.  So it’s neither news-worthy nor good news for that matter."

Al ‘Ot further attempted to prove his point by claiming that corruption is being fought, since key statesmen who have committed crimes are tried at the high court and do not escape the justice system. Both Salah and Galad responded that, while there are individuals being brought to court on corruption charges, "too many others" are escaping. So the media should attempt to provide a check and balance by investigating and clarifying events that might otherwise be brushed under the carpet.

When presenter El Demerdash asked, "Can corruption ever be fought in society?", Galad replied that the effort must come from the top, as this would have a ripple effect through the rest of the culture.  (This is a contrast to the view of Mohammed el Baradei, a likely candidate for President in the next election, who said that corruption must be fought from the bottom of society through to the top.)

Whilst the heated debate continued between the three editors and the presenter, the question remained: Just how effective is the impact of such media outbursts on eradicating corruption?

MENA House: Solving All of Egypt's Problems

Mohammed Amara from Al Masry al Youm has calculated that the Egyptian Government spends an average of 10 million EGP (Egyptian pounds) for every citizen from the momentof their birth to the moment they take their last breath.

Amari calculates that,  if the average age of an Egyptian citizen is 68.5 years, then the government spends (after calculating some figures) an average of 400EGP a day per citizen.

On Al do’ il ahmar (The Red Light), presenter Ahmed el Meslemani added this comment :

There’s a circulating joke in South America that goes something like this:

The US Government gave a country $1 trillion. The President of this State took half the sum, and gave the rest to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Chancellor of the Exchequer then took a quarter of the half a trillion passed on to him, and he further passed the remainder to the Ministry of Affairs. The Ministry of Affairs had a look at what was given and was pleased! He then took the remainder of the total sum leaving nothing for the people.

And so, to the people, he passed on a kind-hearted message, "The US says hello to you."

Meanwhile, the 1999 Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry, Ahmed Zeweil has written in British and Egyptian publications that economic progress in any society can only come about with educational reform. In particular, focusing on the Middle Eastern Region, Dr Zeweil highlights that "'the soft power of modern science, education and economic developments" is essential:

This situation is a timebomb that could be triggered by frustrated youth expressing their despair through national and international violence. Progress in the Middle East is important to the west not only for obtaining natural resources, but also for maintaining an influence in a region that is luring other powers such as China and Russia.

So if every Egyptian citizen receives the 400EGP daily allowance and good quality education, all problems are solved. Or is it really as simple as that?