CAIRO: Despite reports in the independent and state-owned press about the lack of organization of the official Egyptian Hajj delegations, General Ayman Helmy, media relations director at the Ministry of Interior, criticized the coverage and refused to provide Daily News Egypt with a statement.
According to Helmy, Dr Othman Mohamed Othman, Minister of the State for Economic Development, is the president of all the official delegations.
“He is there and he is the only person authorized to make statements in that regard, Helmy told Daily News Egypt.
On Sunday the state-owned Al-Ahram daily reported that some Egyptian pilgrims had threatened to stage a protest in Mecca against the bad organization and the absence of supervisors.
Al-Ahram also reported that Saudi police stations refused to accept complaints filed by the Egyptian pilgrims, advising them to complain at the Egyptian embassy in Saudi Arabia.
The same news was reported in the independent Al-Masry Al-Youm.During a press briefing in Saudi Arabia, Othman refuted the accusations, stating that the official delegation was well-organized and that the Egyptian authorities were doing their best to assure that everything is done correctly.
