The Attarin prosecutor’s office in Alexandria began investigating Wednesday a report filed by lawyer Haitham Nassar Buraik accusing former People's Assembly Speaker Saad al-Katatny of squandering public funds.
Buraik said in his complaint that media outlets had quoted Katatny as saying that he has not yet returned the car allocated to him by the assembly, which was dissolved in June.
The petition also alleges that one MP has said members of the dissolved assembly were still receiving their salaries.
Egyptian media commentators have slammed Katatny for keeping the government-owned vehicle in his possession. Independent daily Al-Tahrir Editor-in-Chief Ibrahim Eissa said the car should be returned to the state since there is no legal reason for Katatny to keep it. Saeed al-Shahat, managing editor of independent daily Youm7, alleged officials have been keeping their vehicles and body guards at the expense of the state budget.
Yousry al-Sheikh, Katatny’s bureau manager, had told independent daily Al-Shorouk that Katatny would retain the car and his guard despite the assembly’s dissolution, contending that the law allows former speakers and ministers to do so.
On Saturday, the Supreme Administrative Court upheld an earlier verdict issued in June by the Supreme Constitutional Court, which dissolved the assembly after deeming parts of the law governing parliamentary elections unconstitutional.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
