The judiciary, media and security apparatus are all corrupt and are fighting President Mohamed Morsi’s plans for Egypt’s renaissance, former Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mahdi Akef has said.
In an interview with Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jareeda Akef, who led the Brotherhood from 2004 to 2010, excused Morsi’s failure in achieving his first 100 goals by arguing that the president had underestimated the amount of corruption ingrained within state institutions.
“There are so many people who do not want what is good for this country. Morsi needs to clean the country up from the feloul [remnants of the former regime],” he said.
Akef pointed to the recent Cairo Court of Appeals verdict reversing Morsi’s appointment of Prosecutor General Tala’at Abdallah as evidence of the judiciary’s corruption.
“When the People’s Assembly [lower house of parliament] that is elected by over 32 million citizens is dissolved by a court, this is evidence that the judiciary is diseased,” Akef said.
He added that the upcoming House of Representative would dismiss 3,500 judges for being above retirement age upon its election, which is why the judiciary is fighting Morsi.
The former Supreme Guide denied claims that his successor and incumbent Mohamed Badie is the real force ruling Egypt. “The Muslim Brotherhood exists in 80 countries. The [Supreme] Guide is too busy to run Egypt, is Morsy not enough for you?” he asked.
When asked about the case against satirist Bassem Youssef, who is accused of insulting the president and Islam, Akef said he had only watched Youssef’s programme once and that he was “insolent” and “transgressed against his masters.”
Akef initially denied the interview happened and accused Al-Jareeda of publishing falsehood when the Egyptian media picked up the story, prompting Al-Jareeda to publish the sound recording of the interview.
The former Brotherhood leader is infamous for statements he made years ago, saying that Egypt did not matter and Islam is what is truly important, saying he would rather see Egypt led by a foreigner who is a good Muslim rather than an Egyptian who is not Muslim.
