(AFP Photo)
Minister of Justice Ahmed Mekki released a statement revealing the circumstances of the president’s decision to relieve the prosecutor general of his duties.
Mekki explained that in late February 2011 just after the revolution Abdel Meguid Mahmoud, the prosecutor general, expressed his wish to resign in a meeting of the Supreme Judicial Council led by counselor Serry Seyam.
Mekki added that on Wednesday 10 October upon the “Battle of the Camel” trial decision, in which those accused of killing protesters during the 25 January revolution were acquitted, people demanded the removal of Mahmoud. He was accused of being responsible for the verdict.
On Thursday, Mekki met with President Mohamed Morsy to discuss the situation after receiving information on possible riots and assault against Mahmoud. “I called the prosecutor general and gave him all the information I had, and told him I preferred he returned to the judge’s stand until there’s a post worthy of him, but he said he preferred to resign” the statement read.
Mahmoud refused the post of chairman of the Central Agency for Organization and Management with the rank of minister, so Mekki asked counselor Hossam El-Gheriany to talk to Mahmoud.
Al-Gheriany offered Mahmoud the post of Egypt’s ambassador to Vatican, but Mahmoud preferred to work in an Arab country as he doesn’t speak a foreign language. Al-Gheriany told him this was possible after sometime.
Mekki relayed Mahmoud’s approval to the presidency and confirmed the prosecutor general had nothing to do with the “Battle of the Camel” investigations and evidence was poorly collected and some was lost due to the collapse of the police.
“On the same night I was surprised by the statements attributed to Mahmoud that denied accepting the ambassador’s post and considering our communication with him a sort of pressure” the statement read. On Friday Mekki called Mahmoud who said his statements were a response to statements by members of Freedom and Justice Party saying that he had been removed by the president.
Consequently, Mekki offered to release a statement about what really happened, amid attempts by politician Ahmed Kamal Aboul Maguid to resolve the situation.
“That’s my testimony before God, Egypt’s judges, and its people” Mekki said at the end of his statement.
On Sunday afternoon, a group of judges held an emergency meeting at the High Court building in which they affirmed the upholding of judicial law, claiming that President Morsy had overstepped his authority in his attempt to relieve Mahmoud of his duties. The group stated the prosecutor general’s stand was a confirmation of an independent judiciary.
