A source close to the ousted head of the Central Auditing Organisation (CAO) Hisham Geneina said an appeal is ready to be submitted to contest the presidency’s dismissal decree of the former top auditor.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the appeal was been compiled in coordination with a group of lawyers who formed a coalition to defend Geneina and is will be submitted to the administrative judiciary in the second week of May.
The appeal will contest that the dismissal violated the law and the constitution.
Al-Sisi sacked the former top auditor on 28 March following statements by Geneina in which he claimed public funds amounting to EGP 600bn were wasted due to state corruption in 2015.
Al-Sisi issued a decree in July 2015 that gave him the power to dismiss, replace, and appoint heads of regulatory bodies, despite the constitution guaranteeing their independence from the state’s executive branch.
According to the decree, the circumstances for dismissal include cases where evidence is found that the individuals compromised national security, there is a loss of confidence, a breach of duties leading to damage of the country’s interests or of the public official, and health conditions that would prevent them from fulfilling their duties.
Geneina’s dismissal decree was based on the aforementioned law. The appeal relies on the constitution’s articles, which ensure the CAO’s independence and stipulates that necessary security measures be taken to protect its personnel and employment conditions in a way that ensures impartiality and autonomy.
The appeal also demands that the case be referred to the Supreme Constitutional Court.
Daily News Egypt was informed that Geneina, who was also a former top judge under Hosni Mubarak and part of a judiciary reformist movement, is also set to hold a press conference following the appeal submission in order to clarify controversies surrounding his dismissal.
