TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) -The government in Egypt has arrested the country’s former anti-graft chief, who had threatened to publish purportedly damaging information on President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi ahead of the presidential election next month.
Hesham Genena was arrested on Tuesday by police at his home in a Cairo suburb and handed over to military prosecutors, who decided to remand him in custody for 15 days for questioning, media reports said on Wednesday.
Genena, who was a top campaign aide to one of Sisi’s former presidential rivals in the March election, had threatened to release documents allegedly incriminating Sisi.
He was an aide to former candidate and ex-chief of military staff Sami Annan, who Genena said was in possession of documents incriminating the country’s “leadership.”
Genena led Egypt’s top watchdog agency until Sisi fired him in 2016. He is considered the latest election-related casualty in what appears to be an intensifying campaign against anti-Sisi figures.
Annan himself was arrested by the military last month, days after he declared his intention to challenge Sisi. The military said he faced charges of incitement against the military and forgery.
Genena said he feared for Annan’s life in detention, warning that the purportedly damning documents were being kept abroad and would be released if any harm was done to him.
Annan was among a string of potentially serious challengers to Sisi who were all set aside, leaving virtually a one-man show to be staged by Sisi in March. The only other candidate running is an obscure politician who is one of Sisi’s most ardent supporters named Moussa Mustafa Moussa.
Source:Press TV