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Egypt arrests top culture officials for taking bribes in antiquity projects
The Associated PressPublished: August 9, 2007
CAIRO, Egypt: Egypt arrested and charged with bribery Thursday two ranking officials at the Culture Ministry for taking kickbacks from the construction companies restoring the nation's antiquities, a security official said.
Ayman Abdel Moneim, the director of the Cultural Development Fund and the No.2 man in the ministry, and his colleague Hussein Ahmed, were being questioned Thursday by prosecutors, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the press.
No further details on the nature of the charges or the companies involved were given.
Prior to taking on his current position, Abdel Moneim headed the wideranging, multi-million dollar project involving some of the nation's largest construction companies to restore "Islamic Cairo," the medieval core of the city known for its ancient mosques and homes.
Ahmed, who faces similar charges, oversaw a restoration project focused on the Nuba region in the extreme south of the country.
The Cairo project has long been criticized by conservation experts for the ham-fisted approach of the contractors to the delicate monuments, some of which date to the ninth century A.D.
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^ Nothing surprising there. Corruption is common in the Egyptian government in all areas, let alone the antiquities area where there are many valuable artifacts involved. The question is how high is this corruption? Makes me wonder more about Hawass.
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