(Photo by: Ahmed Al-Malky)
Prosecutor General Tala’at Abdallah requested the Supreme Judicial Council lift judicial immunity from Judges’ Club President Ahmed Al-Zind but is yet to receive an answer, his spokesperson Mostafa Deweidar said.
In an interview with Al-Jazeera Mubashir Misr on Monday Deweidar said the request was issued two weeks ago but the council has not taken action yet.
The public prosecution received complaints against Al-Zind accusing him of illegally acquiring plots of land. Since he is a judge, however, the prosecution cannot summon him because of his judicial immunity. Abdallah requested the lifting of Al-Zind’s immunity so he could be summoned for questioning, Deweidar said.
He added that the Tanta Judges’ Club decision to strike him and Abdallah from its membership was invalid because nothing in the club bylaws allows for removing memberships. The club general assembly said it was terminating their membership due to their membership of the Judges for Egypt movement, which Deweidar denied.
Deweidar refused to comment on Abdallah’s request for the recusal of the court bench of the judicial affairs circuit of the Cairo Court of Appeals that ruled to reverse his appointment. Deweidar would not comment on allegations that the request is being processed faster than usual recusal requests, adding that the schedule is up to the judge and not the plaintiff.
The judicial affairs circuit of the Cairo Court of Appeals ruled to reverse President Mohamed Morsi’s appointment of Abdallah and the dismissal of his predecessor Abdel Meguid Mahmoud. Abdallah appealed the verdict and requested the bench’s recusal.
Morsi appointed Abdallah unilaterally through a constitutional decree removing Mahmoud in November and Mahmoud appealed his removal.
