General Prosecutor Nabil Sadek ordered on Tuesday investigating the report published by US newspaper New York Times that published news reportedly harming state security and interest.
The prosecution assigned judge khaled Deyaa to follow the investigations.
Two days ago, the world-renowned newspaper published a report claiming that a so-called Egyptian intelligence officer named Ashraf El-Khouly made secret phone calls to TV hosts Azmy Megahed, Mofid Fawzy, and Saeed Hassaseen, as well as movie star Yousra, to discuss with them an agenda to persuade the viewers to accept Trump’s Jerusalem decision, instead of condemning it.
Also, on Monday in his first response to a report published over alleged recordings of an Egyptian intelligence officer, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry asserted that Egypt’s stance is consistent and will not change towards supporting the Palestinian people.
The minister said the publication of these recordings might have come for political purposes, which of course is baseless, noting that Egypt has often sponsored initiatives to support the Palestinian cause, pointing out that after the US decision, Egypt initiated dialogues and consultations, which included submitting a bill at the UN Security Council.
“Egypt does not speak secretly or fear defending the cause and the right of the Palestinian people; we are not afraid to announce our policy, and this was clear to everyone in our previous stances,” Shoukry he added.
The report entitled “Tapes Reveal Egyptian Leaders’ Tacit Acceptance of Jerusalem Move” was written by international correspondent David D. Kirkpatrick.
The US newspaper did not publish the recording; it only reported the conversation between the alleged officer with three TV anchors and movie star Yousra. So far, nothing was published to prove the validity of these recordings or the identity of the officer.
The report did not provide copies of these recordings or even reveal the source of the information, sufficing to refer that these recordings were leaked to the newspaper by an “intermediary supportive of the Palestinian cause and opposed to President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi,” and that the newspaper could not determine the origins of the recording.
Actress Yousra and TV anchors denied the recordings. Also, State Information Service (SIS) denounced the report on Sunday, saying that Fawzi is a journalist who stopped presenting any TV programmes for years, contrary to what the report claimed, that Hassaseen’s show has stopped weeks before the declaration of the decision, and that he is not currently presenting any talk show.
As for Yousra, SIS said that she is an actress that has no relation whatsoever to presenting TV talk shows.
Egypt was among the first countries to announce their rejection of US President Donald Trump’s decision to officially recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Two days after the US decision on 8 December, Egypt called for an urgent session at the UN Security Council to discuss the outcome of the decision that undermines the peace process in the Middle East.
Egypt then submitted a draft resolution to the Security Council, to which fourteen countries voted in affirmation, while the US vetoed it.
