Head of the Illicit Gains Authority Yehia Galal issued an arrest warrant Tuesday against the former editor of state-run Al-Ahram newspaper, Ibrahim Nafaa, to interrogate him over corruption charges.
State-run MENA news agency said Tuesday that reports the Administrative Control Authority submitted to the Illicit Gains Office on Nafaa proved that he had exploited his position to increase his wealth.
MENA added that investigators would interrogate Nafaa on charges of using his work to gain wealth not commensurate with the sources of his income.
Independent daily Youm7 said that Nafie had been summoned more than once for interrogation but did not attend, so investigators issued an arrest warrant against him.
According to the Administrative Control Authority, Youm7 says, Nafaa used his powers to obtain villas, mansions, and apartments in Alexandria, Sharm el-Sheikh, and Cairo, in addition to lands in Hurghada and Marsa Alam in Red Sea Governorate, and Shorouk City and 6th of October City in Cairo and Giza governorates.
Nafaa served as editor-in-chief of Al-Ahram between 1979 and 1984. From 1984 to 2005, Nafie combined the posts of editor-in-chief and chairman of the board of directors of Al-Ahram. Nafie is known to be one of the most prominent defenders of the regime of deposed President Hosni Mubarak. Some accused him of turning Al-Ahram into a mouthpiece for the regime.
