Q: Who must bear consequences of the slowdown in investigating Shafik and Suleiman?

A: The Attorney-General and the military prosecution

Cairo, May 13 2012.

ANHRI said today that the first Egyptian presidential election in the modern era taking place few days ahead may result in the election of Ahmed Shafik, the former Minister of Aviation and Prime Minister, and the second strongest man of Mubarak. Shafik is accused of a squandering public funds in tens of complaints filed to the Attorney-General. Shafik was able to officially run for presidency because of the Attorney-General’s procrastination and slowdown in investigating the complaints filed by employees at the Ministry of Civil Aviation over a year ago. There are mixed news about the complaints being referred to Public Funds Prosecution, or to the military judiciary, just to lose trace of them like the complaints filed against police officers in cases of torture during the rule of the ousted dictator. Justice has not been served thus far.

Shafik’s scenario was repeated with the case filed by ANHRI on the communications blackout in February 2011. Following a year of inaction and misleading by the Public Prosecution, the case was referred to the military justice to just be forgotten in the drawers as the investigations had indicated the involvement of General Omar Suleiman, Mubarak’s strongest man during his rule.

“When complaints are against an official figure or one affiliated with the ousted dictator, they refer them to the different departments of the public prosecution. Only with mounting public pressure, it is referred to the military judiciary. According to many concerned about the affairs of justice in Egypt, it means that no penalty would be issued and the rule of law will not be accomplished, especially with the military justice system being the de facto Judiciary now in Egypt. Similarily, the emergency state is the norm, and impunity is the prevailing system in Egypt,” said ANHRI.

“Is the Attorney-General, who caused the impunity of many officers, going to apply the law on Shafik if he wins the presidency? Is the law, which is standing helpless against a former Prime Minister, going to apply on an elected President of the Republic? We believe not,” added ANHRI.

ANHRI is providing this information to the Egyptian public opinion and shows solidarity to the media outlets and jurists who had alerted to this erroneous situation several times before. ANHRI affirms its firm position that the greatest risk to the Egyptians revolution of dignity is the negligence of the rule of law and the values of justice in Egypt.

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