Egypt arrests government official, five businessmen over corruption charges

Egypt’s Administrative Control Authority (ACA) arrested yesterday the deputy governor of the country’s coastal city of Alexandria, Soad EL-Kholy, along with five businessmen over corruption charges, Anadolu Agency reported.

El-Kholy, who was arrested at the Alexandria governorate’s headquarters, was accused of bribery, profiting and squandering public funds.

The ACA investigations confirmed that the deputy has received money, material gifts and gold jewellery worth more than EGP 1 million ($56,484) from businessmen in return for exploiting her powers in expecting them from paying fines on illegally-constructed property. According to the ACA statement, those exemptions have allegedly incurred EGP 10 million of losses for in public funds.

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The defendants are to be presented in front of the Egyptian Supreme State Security Prosecution to investigate the crimes they are charged with.

The defendants’ lawyers are yet to comment on the conviction. Over the past few months, the ACA has been referring several state officials to prosecution on bribery charges.

The ACA is responsible for enforcing laws and regulations within state bodies, including identifying possible cases of corruption and referring them for prosecution.