The cancelation of Le Marche fair, organized by Al-Kahera wal Nas channel owner and businessman Tarek Nour, by the security authorities is understandable, said the chairman of the same satellite channel Ahmed al-Saed.
"Maybe the security authorities have information that we do not know about, so we totally respect this decison," Saeed added in a statement on Wednesday.
Saeed denied that Le Marche exhibition was canceled by the security as means to intentionally cause Nour financial losses, as circulated on social media, or as an attempt to put some pressure on him to change the critical approach of journalist Ibrahim Eissa's talk show against the current regime, presented on Al-Kahera wal Nas channel.
"Linking between the program of Ibrahim Eissa's critical tone to the regime, and the cancelation of Le Marche fair is not true," said Saeed.
Saeed denied also that Eissa's program on al-Kahera Wal Nas had been suspended.
Rumors were circulated that Eissa's talk show was suspended after voicing harsh criticism against the parliament on Sunday.
Eissa accused the parliament of planning to adjust the constitutional article that limits the presidential term limit. He also described MPs as "swindlers and impostors."
In response, the parliament filed a complaint on Monday to the General Authority for Investment, requesting legal action against both Al-Kahera Wal Nas and Eissa.
Eissa did not appear on air as usual on Monday and Tuesday. Old recorded episodes of the show were broadcast instead.
However, Saed denied that Eissa's talk show has been suspended, explaining that his absence over the past couple of days was due to "emergent circumstances."
Meanwhile, the Ministry of the Interior informed Tuesday the chairman of the advertizing agency Tarek Nour Advertizing, which is organizing the exhibition, of its decision to cancel the fair.
The decision to cancel Le Marche two days before the expected inauguration at the Cairo International Conference Center (CICC) in Nasr City, has taken its toll on Tarek Nour's advertising agency. Sources close to the agency estimate the initial losses to the company at about LE60 million after the abolition of Le Marche exhibition.
Also, furniture companies working in the sector estimate the initial losses for each company that has prepared a pavilion at about LE500,000.
Over the last three decades, Le Marche has been the leading furniture and interior design fair in Egypt, exhibiting a wide variety of products and services that range from interior and landscape design to garden, office, kitchen and other home furnishings.
The exhibition was scheduled to convene during the period from 22 to 25 December, but the Interior Ministry informed the organizers at the last minute that the show was canceled due to security reasons.
Nour met Interior Minister Major General Magdy Abdul Ghaffar on Monday demanding for the exhibition to be rescheduled, not canceled, but negotiations failed.
