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Al-Ahram Weekly 30 March - 5 April 2000 Issue No. 475 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 30 March - 5 April 2000 Issue No. 475
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Special Focus Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Stabbing mystery drags on
By Inas Mazhar
Prosecutor-General Maher Abdel-Wahid has ordered the release of Mohamed Abdel-Razek, whom police had arrested on suspicion of having stabbed squash player Ahmed Barrada in the back on 20 March. Abdel-Wahid said that evidence against Abdel-Razek was lacking and ordered police to search for the real assailant. This came only hours before Barrada, the world's No 3 squash player, left on Tuesday for physiotherapy in Germany.
At Cairo airport, Barrada told reporters and fans: "I want to re-assure my fans that I am in good health. It will take four weeks of treatment for my back muscles to return to normal and enable me to resume training and take part in competitions."
The 22-year-old champion, who missed this week's Masters event currently taking place in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada, was accompanied by his fitness trainer, Hesham El-Attar. The latter said that the player was aiming for a full recovery in time to catch the Hong Kong Open championship next August.
The treatment will probably take place at the same medical centre where the injured members of the Egyptian women's squash team were treated last summer after a car accident in Jordan during the Pan-Arab Games. The cost will be defrayed by Barrada's sponsor, businessman Ahmed Bahgat.
Following the stabbing, police launched an extensive search for the attacker, during which more than 400 suspects were questioned. On Saturday, police announced they had arrested 28-year-old Abdel-Razek, nicknamed "Wela'a", whom they described as a deranged car mechanic who is unemployed. He was taken in on the basis of the alleged testimony of a witness, a guard at a nearby embassy located on the street where Barrada lives. The witness was quoted as saying that he had seen Abdel-Razek running down the street right after the attack, muttering incomprehensible words. Later reports in the Arabic-language press quoted the man as saying he had not seen anybody.
Another witness, Abdel-Rehim Taha, 61, a porter at a building facing Barrada's home, said he had seen Abdel-Razek several times on the street, wandering aimlessly and talking to himself. Pedestrians took pity on him and gave him money, the witness said.
According to police, the search had led to a part of the knife the assailant had used, as well as his shawl, both of which were said to have been found in the garden of the neighbouring villa. A trained dog identified Abdel-Razek after sniffing the shawl, police said. However, the prosecutor said the knife and shawl did not belong to Abdel-Razek.
Barrada had been released from hospital and was being rehabilitated at home when he was summoned by prosecution authorities to be confronted with Abdel-Razek. Both denied having ever seen each other. "I haven't seen him before and I can't accuse him," Barrada said. "They say he is a beggar, but I don't know. They also say that I gave him money a few weeks ago, but I can't remember, because there are so many beggars on the street and I give money to anybody who asks."
Abdel-Razek also denied having seen Barrada before and said that he did not even know he was an international squash player. "Who is Barrada? I don't know him and I've never heard this name before. How can I attack and try to kill a person whom I don't know?" he told prosecutors. He said that the part of the knife and the shawl that were found by police did not belong to him. He also denied being deranged, but conceded he suffered some psychological problems following the death of his mother. Abdel-Razek said he does not beg for money because he does not need to, since he lives with his brother, a taxi driver, who supports him.
Mahmoud Abboud, the villa gardener, told prosecution authorities that he waters the garden every day and that he found the shawl and the part of the knife in a flower pot two days after the attack. Abbas and Ne'ma Abdel-Razek, respectively the suspect's brother and sister, were also questioned. Both asserted that their brother was harmless. They said that although he had been psychologically treated for three years, he would never commit such a crime.
