Sisi-supporting Egyptian media mogul referred to criminal court

Sisi-supporting Egyptian media mogul referred to criminal court
Blog: Following Salah Diab's arrest last week, his case has been sent to the criminal court, where he will face charges of illegal arms possession.
3 min read
24 Nov, 2015
Salah Diab's arrest caused surprise as he was widely perceived as being pro-government [Getty]
Salah Diab is to face weapons charges at Egypt's criminal court, after being arrested with his son.

The founder of the daily al-Masry al-Youm newspaper was released on a 50,000-Egyptian pound ($6,400) bail, but will still face the judiciary.  

To many, arresting someone who appears to be a regime supporter and powerful business tycoon might seem odd, in a system of patronage such as Cairo's - especially as he is known for being one of the many prominent figures who backed former military leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi during the coup against former President Mohammed Morsi in 2013.

Al-Masry al-Youm
is among one of the most influential of Egypt's private newspapers and has close government connections; a large number of their editors also work as official advisers to government ministers.

Although he was allegedly arrested due to his part in land-corruption and arms possession, many others noted that the motives behind his detention appear political, demonstrating a split in the political and economic elite.
     Although al-Masry al-Youm broadly supports the government, there remains a little space for diverging opinions


Although al-Masry al-Youm broadly supports the government, there remains a little space for diverging opinions, and writers occasionally criticise the government.

In 2011, complaints against the businessman were filed, accusing him of obtaining "vast areas" of land along the Cairo-Alexandria desert road for undervalued low prices from the agriculture ministry.

Diab rejected an offer to settle the case by paying $100 million, as the estimated worth of the project is around half a billion dollars. His funds were subsequently frozen and he was banned from leaving the country.

The public prosecutor in Egypt is currently embroiled in more than 300 cases against prominent business owners involving the sale of under-valued state land.

In October, Egypt's former agriculture minister Salah El Din Mahmoud Helal faced trial on charges of corruption.

However, lands-rights activists are sceptical that there is any real corruption crack-down in Egypt.

"My belief is that it's not a real comprehensive crack-down…the official line is reconciliation with the Mubarak era land-grabbers, where they fined those who had been grabbing land," lands-rights activist Baher Shawky told al-Araby al-Jadeed.

The public prosecutor has this year been forced into legal settlements worth billions of pounds to drop charges, with business leaders paying huge sums to settle pending cases out of court.

Shawky suggests that the case demonstrates tensions between the economic and political elite.

Shortly after Diab's arrest in early November, the court of cassation ruled not to accept an appeal submitted by the state prosecutor, who challenged the acquittal of business owner Mounir Ghabbour and former Housing Minister Ahmed Maghrabi, both accused of squandering public money.
     The public prosecutor has this year been forced into legal settlements worth billions of pounds to drop charges


Some belive that the motives behind Diab's arrest are more complex. 

"It is no secret that Diab was not at the top donors to fund the Long live Egypt Campaign," a source told al-Araby.

"His contribution was limited to six million pounds ($770,000) - his friends advised he raise it, but he refused."

Diab's media outlets have also recently started attacking Sisi personally, not just his policies, analysts note.

Political expert Amjad Gabbas believes the arrest was not related to corruption, but concerns a "hidden struggle" taking place between those who consolidated their power during the Mubarak era, and the current Egyptian administration. 

Since Diab's arrest, the Egyptian stockmarket has reportedly suffered, as other tycoons fear they may meet the same fate.