The public prosecutor and other investigation services are conducting an investigation about possible bribes given to Electricity Ministry officials under former President Hosni Mubarak, independent daily Shorouk reported, quoting unnamed ministry officials.
The probe is addressing allegations that the officials received bribes from the French power and transportation company Alstom. The French company recently admitted to offering bribes to officials in several countries besides Egypt, such as Saudi Arabia, China and India.
Reuters had reported that the bribery scheme was carried out through fake consultants in each country over 11 years and “involved paying more than US$75 million to secure $4 billion in projects.” It added that the company declared it would pay a $772.3 million fine and plead guilty to settle US criminal charges.
According to Shorouk, officials at the Electricity Ministry declined to comment on the projects Egypt had assigned to Alstom during the last decade of Mubarak’s rule.
The newspaper, however, pointed out that Alstom had applied for a power generation undertaking in Kuraymat, south of Cairo, worth of LE2065 million ($360 million), implemented under the ministry’s plan for 2007-2012, in addition to a few other projects.
