Egypt’s parliament headed by Ali Abdel Aaal is to vote on an amendment for the penal code next Sunday after it was approved last week in a plenary session.
The government decided to postpone the final approval of these amendments to the penal code to another session as the amendment requires a two-third approval from parliament, and the members present at the session did not make the quorum.
The amendment stipulates in the case of damaging any state properties, lands, and public or private properties and endowments, the accused should be punished by up to five years imprisonment and fined no less than EGP100,000.
The penalty shall not exceed EGP 1m for any public official who encroaches on agricultural land, empty land lots, or buildings owned by the Endowments Ministry.
Illegal behaviour includes planting, constructing, or occupying the land as well as benefiting from it in any way or facilitating the aforementioned actions for any other individual by any means.
If a crime committed by a public official is associated with forgery or the use of forged documents, the penalty will be life imprisonment or aggravated imprisonment and a fine of no less than EGP 1m and no more than EGP 2m. In addition, the offender shall in all cases be sentenced to dismissal from their job.
