CAIRO: The Administrative Monitoring Authority arrested Abdel Hamid Kotb, chairman of the engineering department of the Higher Council of Antiquities along with a number of other employees involved in the bribery case of Ayman Abdel Moneim, the former project manager at the Ministry of Culture.
Ahmed Salah, the Ministry’s spokesman confirmed the news to Daily News Egypt, but the minister has not released any official statement on the matter.
Zahi Hawass, the secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, told local papers that he won’t defend any corrupt employee.
On Aug 13, Culture Minister Farouk Hosni announced to the media that he will take no sides in the corruption case involving two of the ministry’s top employees, Ayman Abdel Moneim and Hussein Ahmed Hussein.
Both Abdel Moneim and Hussein were arrested and accused of taking bribes and for using their positions in the ministry for personal gain.
“Our work in the ministry is seen by the public and that is why when there are mistakes everyone can see them just as they see our successes, Salah, ministry spokesman, previously told Daily News Egypt.
Abdel Moneim has been supervising the restoration project of Islamic Cairo for six years. The project included the re-establishment of some 150 mosques, caravansaries, fortifications and other sites.
Unesco included the area in its list of world patrimony sites in 1979.
Abdel Moneim was also in charge of the cultural development fund, a job which required him to manage the budget of many cultural activities, including the Cairo International Film Festival.
Hussein was the manager of the Nubian Antiquities Fund.
