• 22:12
  • Tuesday ,08 September 2015
العربية

Resigned Egypt agriculture minister arrested on corruption charges, detained pending investigation

By-ahram

Home News

00:09

Tuesday ,08 September 2015

Resigned Egypt agriculture minister arrested on corruption charges, detained pending investigation

Agriculture Minister Salah Helal was arrested on Monday on corruption charges, before the prosecution said he would be detained pending investigation.

The prosecution did not reveal the duration of Helal's detention along with other defendants facing the same charges.
 
The Egyptian cabinet has accepted the resignation of agriculture minister Salah Helal shortly before his arrest, Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported.
 
The cabinet released a statement saying that the “resignation was accepted” upon a request by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi.
 
The resignation is believed to be due to the alleged bribery of some officials in the agriculture ministry.
 
Last August, the assistant and director of the agriculture minister’s office was arrested and accused of corruption and receiving bribes from businessmen to facilitate the takeover of lands.
 
In late August, acting Prosecutor General Ali Omran ordered a media gag on the corruption case involving the officials.