When guards are thieves
THE HEAD of the Supreme Council of Antiquities' newly- established retrieved antiquities department, along with another archaeological inspector, were arrested on Sunday on suspicion of accepting a bribe in exchange for smuggling 362 artefacts out of the country, reports Nevine El-Aref.
Just nine months after assuming the new post, Abdel-Karim Abu-Shanab, who heads the department charged with tracking and recovering artefacts illegally smuggled out of the country, was arrested after customs police discovered that 362 objects on their way to Spain were authentic antiquities and not replicas.
The objects -- which include 288 icons, 13 bracelets, 60 small statues and the head of a large statue -- were on their way to a private dealer in Spain under the pretense of being modern replicas. Abu-Shanab and the other inspector, Mohamed Abdel-Rahman Fahmi, allegedly received a bribe of LE25,000 to issue the fake certificate. Both men were held in custody for 30 days pending further investigations into the matter.
Abu-Shanab was fired by SCA head Zahi Hawass on Monday, and archaeologist Ibrahim Abdel-Meguid appointed in Abu-Shanab's stead. Hawass told Al-Ahram Weekly that "it means nothing if one antiquities official is corrupt... we will always insist on bringing antiquities which were illegally smuggled out of the country back."
Antiquities Law No. 171 of 1983 says that all antiquities that are not in private collections are the property of the government. It also bans their sale or export. The maximum sentence for accepting bribes is 15 years with hard labour, while smuggling antiquities carries a maximum penalty of five years. Efforts are underway, however, to raise the maximum penalty for smuggling antiquities to 25 years.
Smuggler might be deported
AN INDONESIAN official said on Tuesday that his country is considering deporting an Egyptian involved in smuggling refugees so that he can be tried in Egypt. "If Abu-Quassey will be prosecuted in Egypt in accordance with Egyptian law, we will consider deporting him to Egypt rather than Australia," said Indonesian Justice Minister Usri Ihza Mahendra.
Moataz Attia Mohamed Hassan, known as Abu-Quassey, has admitted to organising a fatal voyage from Indonesia to Australia, which resulted in the death of about 350 mostly Iraqi asylum-seekers last October. He is currently being held at an immigration detention centre on a six-months prison sentence for visa violations.
Indonesia was not able to press smuggling charges against Abu-Quassey because its laws do not ban the practice. Australia, however, has asked Indonesia to at least be involved in investigations of Abu-Quassey's role in the fatal voyage.
Australia has issued international arrest warrants for Abu- Quassey on 76 offenses, all related to illegally smuggling people into Australia. It issued its fourth warrant after last October's voyage.
The Egyptian Embassy in Jakarta told the Indonesian minister that it will offer its reply to the case in two weeks.
Businessman on trial
ON MONDAY, Prosecutor-General Maher Abdel-Wahed ordered two separate trials for businessman Hossam Abul- Fotouh on charges of allegedly possessing unlicensed weapons and communications devices. Abul-Fotouh is a multimillionaire who owns numerous businesses including a factory which assembles BMWs. An emergency state security court will try him on charges of illegally possessing two machine guns, a telescope and ammunitions, while a misdemeanour court will handle charges of possessing bugging equipment.
Abul-Fotouh, who is currently in custody on the weapons charge, has also been facing legal troubles related to his finances. He is being investigated for tax and custom evasion, as well as failing to repay loans amounting to LE 1.5 million. At the same time, Abul-Fotouh is appealing a three-year sentence handed down last December as a result of his loan defaults. Prosecutors, meanwhile, have appealed a recent Cairo court verdict clearing Abul-Fotouh of charges related to the smuggling of alcohol valued at LE6 million.
Kosheh verdict postponed
ON MONDAY, the Sohag Felony Court postponed its verdict in the retrial of 96 people involved in clashes that claimed the lives of 20 Christians and one Muslim three years ago. The unrest was sparked in the majority Coptic Christian town of Al-Kosheh, north of Sohag, after a quarrel between a Coptic merchant and a Muslim customer eventually spread to the neighbouring village of Dar Al-Salam.
At the original trial in February 2001, the two defendants [both Muslims] were convicted of "involuntary homicide", while two other Muslims were found guilty of illegal possession of weapons and vandalism, and were sentenced to prison terms ranging between one and 10 years. The remaining 92 defendants, including 38 Copts, were acquitted. The verdict was vehemently denounced by Coptic Christians, who described it as so lenient that it encouraged Muslims to kill Copts.
Soon thereafter, Prosecutor-General Maher Abdel-Wahed announced that mistakes had been made in applying the law, and had the case taken to the Court of Cassation, which ordered a retrial.
Human rights activists closely monitoring the case think the verdict was postponed to avoid any tension amongst the country's Muslims and Copts, in an atmosphere already filled with outrage over United States policies in the Middle East.
The court set 27 February as the date when the new verdict will be declared.
Military trial for Jihad
FORTY-THREE alleged members of the underground Jihad group will be facing a military trial on charges of allegedly planning to attack the US and Israeli embassies in Cairo. The military prosecutors began their interrogations of the suspects last Thursday.
The group had reportedly revived its activities in five of Egypt's governorates: Beheira; Gharbiya; Cairo; Al-Mahalla; and Qalyoubiya. Its alleged ring leader was identified as Ehab Ismail, and investigations revealed that he was in contact with the group's expatriate leaders via the Internet.
According to sources close to investigations, Ismail admitted both to plotting terror attacks against vital foreign installations, and preparing explosives and acquiring weapons. Further, investigations revealed that suspects were angered by Israel's aggression against the Palestinians, and America's support for the Israeli prime minister's policies. After failing to join the Palestinian resistance on the ground -- due to tight security on the Egyptian-Israeli border -- the suspects were allegedly inspired to plot revenge attacks against the two countries' interests inside Egypt.
A policy meeting?
US PRINCIPAL Deputy Assistant Secretary of State James Larocco met with top diplomats from around 30 US embassies in Arab and Muslim countries this week. The meetings took place in Cairo, lasted for two days, and were attended by US Ambassador to Cairo David Welch.
The Arab press reported that the meeting aimed at putting together a detailed report on Arab and Muslim public opinion regarding a possible US strike on Iraq. Reportedly, the American official's mission was to discuss plans to be adopted by representatives of the American government in Arab and Muslim capitals as a way of convincing Arab public opinion that the planned strike is against the Iraqi regime and not the peoples of Iraq and Muslim countries.
A spokesman for the American Embassy in Cairo told Al- Ahram Weekly that although the meeting had been referred to as a "policy meeting" on Iraq, it was actually a routine annual meeting, which happened to be held in Cairo this year.
Compiled by Jailan Halawi
