Late on Saturday Cairo airport customs authorities seized dozens of packages en route to Saudi Arabia that were suspected of belonging to an Egyptian businessman who has fled the country. Artifacts were found inside.
The same day prosecution decided to try businessman Hussein Salem, a founder of East Mediterranean Gas (EMG), along with other officials including former Petroleum Minister Sameh Fahmi, all accused of exporting Egyptian gas at prices below international market prices, leading to the waste of US$715 million of public money.
EMG is an Egyptian-Israeli consortium that will provide Israel with around 1.7 billion cubic meters of gas for 15 years according to an agreement struck in 2005.
Security sources said the parcels weigh 3310 KG. Customs authorities will ask a committee from the antiquities ministry to examine the parcels as they contain artifacts suspected to be banned from trading.
A carpet on which Salem’s name was written was also discovered, along with photos of ousted president Hosni Mubarak, the former chief of presidential staff, and Arab and foreign kings, presidents and former ministers.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
