Beleaguered Coptic business tycoon and liberal icon Naguib Sawiris accused by Islamic fundamentalist attorney of profiting from close association with ousted Mubarak regime.
Ali Ismail, a lawyer for Egyptian Islamist movement Al-Jamaa Al-Islamiya, has lodged a complaint against Coptic-Christian billionaire Naguib Sawiris with Egypt’s Illicit Gains Authority, accusing the high-profile businessman of the illegal acquisition of wealth.
Ismail charges Sawiris with benefiting from his close association with the ousted Mubarak regime, which sold the tycoon large tracts of state land at a discount that he later resold at inflated prices. Ismail further alleges that the former regime granted Sawiris the license for his lucrative MobiNil mobile-phone network at a reduced price, thus wasting public money.
Ismail’s lawsuit represents the second to be filed against Sawiris recently. Islamist lawyer Mamdouh Ismail earlier filed a complaint with Egypt’s public prosecutor accusing Sawiris of disrespecting Islam after the latter posted images of Mickey and Minnie Mouse wearing Islamic garb on his official Facebook page.
The offensive images caused an uproar among conservative Muslims when they were posted last summer. Sawiris, founder of the liberal Free Egyptians party, removed the pictures after receiving a deluge of complaints, which prompted him to issue a hasty apology and publicly stress his respect for Islam and Muslims.
[Produced in partnership with Ahram Online.]
From Jadaliyya Editors:
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