President Mohamed Morsy’s son has denied news reports that he gave a Tunisian Islamist Rachid Ghannouchi a gift, taking the opportunity to rebut accusations of exploiting his father’s office.
Osama Morsy told Al-Masry Al-Youm that reports by German news agency DPA claiming that he had given a presidential medallion to Rachid Ghannouchi, leader of Tunisia’s Ennahda Party, were completely untrue and sought to blemish the image of the president’s family.
He also denied reports that authorities had begun paving the road near his family’s residence in the Fifth Settlement. “That technique of defamation had also been used with Saad al-Katatny,” referring to the Muslim Brotherhood member and speaker of the dissolved People’s Assembly.
On Sunday, Osama said in a phone call to an Egyptian TV show, Osama said “According to protocol, it is an insult to the Ennahda Party chairman for the President to send his son to receive him at the airport, which means this news falsifies itself, and it really is totally false, as neither me nor any of my brothers did this.”
He said he was surprised that Al-Wafd newspaper published a report claiming his brother Ahmed had received Ghannouchi, although his brother is currently in Saudi Arabia. Al-Akhbar and Al-Watan also reported that Ahmed had received Ghannouchi.
“Why didn’t the three newspapers who published this news attach a photo to prove it, and why didn’t they confirm it by calling Ghannouchi?” asked Osama.
“Let them show a picture with the report. Then they can say we are committing the actions of Mubarak and his sons, but God forbid, we do not and will not accept this, and if I did, the first person to stop me would be my father”
Osama then denied the numerous rumors that have been circulating recently, saying “Before this rumor, one concerning a special examinations hall being set up for my brother Abdullah was also proven false.”
“There is also no truth in the reports concerning the issuance of a presidential decree appointing me as a deputy to the public prosecutor,” he said. “I am proud of and satisfied with my profession, despite the offers I received over the past days for positions as a legal advisor in investment companies with unbelievable salaries, I completely refused.”
He went on to say that he and his brothers are distancing themselves from their father’s work. “Even during the Cairo University celebrations, which my brothers and I attended, our places were in the first row but we insisted on sitting in the back rows, as well as during the ceremonial handover of power. We had no official status in the ceremony, which we attended in our capacity as the president’s sons.”
Osama said the objective of such rumors was to “impede the President from doing his job.” He called on the media and the Egyptian people to “stop the president's son if they do wrong.”
“I want the Egyptians to know we are farmers who do not exceed our rights, and that we have been harmed and remained patient,” he said. “The presidency is a test for us and not a distinction.”
