A video of a tuk tuk driver harshly criticising the poor living conditions in Egypt, that was broadcast on privately owned channel Al-Hayah on Thursday, has sparked controversy among Egyptians.
The driver’s statements triggered endless discussions on social media channels, as the driver disappeared from his residency directly after the video became widely recognised.
The driver, who is an ordinary citizen, faced both backlash and support from Facebook users, most of whom considered him to have criticised the poor living conditions of his own accord, while others thought he was paid to “spread pessimism”.
Prominent TV presented Amr Al-Leithy had conducted the interview with the driver for an episode of his programme Wahed Min El-Nas (One of the People).
Al-Leithy was also accused of conspiring and hiring the driver to make these remarks.
Moreover, Al-Hayah issued a statement on Saturday afternoon, denying the rumours that have circulated about the programme being suspended due to the video. It instead asserted that the programme’s suspension was due to the Al-Leithy’s annual vacation.
