The Press Syndicate Council held a meeting on Saturday in the presence of journalist chief Yehia Al-Qalash to discuss a complaint filed against TV anchor Ahmed Moussa for airing explicit images of movie director Khaled Youssef.
The complaint was submitted last week by Youssef, President of the Arab Artists Federation Mosaad Fouda, representative of the Creative Front Mohamed Al-Adl, and 57 syndicate members.
The media figures accused Moussa in their complaint of regularly insulting celebrities and public figures and invading their privacy, which violates the professional codes and ethics of the council.
In response, the council decided to levy disciplinary measures against Moussa and to begin an investigation.
On Saturday, Moussa apologised to Youssef on his show ‘Ala Masoolity’, and said that the matter was rectified during a dinner between Youssef and Moussa that took place on Thursday at Mortada Mansour’s house, the head of Al-Zamalek Club and Youssef’s lawyer. Several media figures attended the dinner, including the MP Mostafa Bakry, and TV anchor Wael El-Ebrashy.
Moussa explained that his apology was encouraged by Youssef’s decision not to file a lawsuit against him. Moussa further confirmed that he will support Youssef, and announced that within days Youssef will be a guest on his show.
”Ahmed Moussa is a media tool that political leaders use to achieve their goals. This was proven in the sexual pictures he published of the movie director, as Moussa did not even provide any evidence to prove their accuracy. The photos were unclear. They are definitely fabricated. I do not doubt that Moussa did this based on orders from a certain political figure”, Ashraf Sadek, media professor at October University of Modern Sciences and Arts, told Daily News Egypt.
Sadek suggested that, subtending the unclear facts of the case, there is a political motivation centred on the exclusion of Sameh Seif Al-Yazaal from leading the parliament and giving the position to Tawfiq Oksha.
“It seems like a political deal beyond what happened yesterday in Moussa’s show. I think that during the dinner they agreed on a certain plan to accomplish their goals, especially as some parliament members attended the meeting”, Sadek commented.
This was not the first occasion in which Moussa aired allegations against certain figure. Moussa has previously insulted several public figures, including Osama Al-Ghazaly Harb, former leader of the Democratic Front Party. He apologised after Harb filed a lawsuit to ban Moussa from TV and had paying millions of pounds in lawyer fees.
Hassan Emad Mekkawy, member of Supreme Press Council, told Daily News Egypt: “The state should take action against the unacceptable fights happening among media figures and public figures.”
Mekkawy recommended passing a new law regulating the media that would allow the Press Syndicate Council the latitude to punish any media institution or member who violates its media codes and regulations.
