By Abdel-Rahman Hussein
CAIRO: The announcement of the capture of an Egyptian man accused of spying for Israel was politically motivated, according to a former North Sinai MP candidate.
Tagammu party member Khalil Jabr Sawarkeh told Daily News Egypt, “They are arrested at one time and the arrest is announced at another time, and some are saying that the timing has to do with political considerations, to do with the new parliament or any matter that will serve the interests of the state.”
On Monday, State Security Prosecutor Hisham Badawi announced the arrest of Tarek Abdel-Razek Hussain Hassan on charges of spying on behalf of the Israeli secret service Mossad. Badawi also said that two Israelis, Idi Moshe and Joseph Demore were to be tried in absentia on the same charges.
Sawarkeh believed that with these cases the period between the arrests and the announcement would often extend for months and it was because the state would wait until the announcement could be more amenable for its interests.
“I expect there will be more announcements about capturing sleeper cells in Sinai involving Hamas so as to not exploit the lack of movement in the peace process,” he said
President Hosni Mubarak has recently criticized Israel for not moving forward with the peace process, which is currently at an impasse due to the inability of Israel and the Palestinian Authority to agree on the conditions preceding a sit-down at the negotiating table.
The three accused have been charged with “espionage and endangering the interests of Egypt” by attempting to recruit officials working in the telecommunications sector as well as attempting to recruit spies in Syria and Lebanon.
State Security investigations allege that Abdel-Razek was attempting to recruit the editor-in-chief of a Lebanese newspaper with ties to the Syrian regime and Hezbollah. The investigations allege that the editor was offered money and his own television show in exchange for information.
There have also been reports of another spy ring attributed to Israel, in which four Egyptians were arrested as a part of in May. With this cell, there are also two Israelis wanted by authorities. This cell was charged with attempting to kidnap tourists in the Sinai peninsula.
