The Public Funds Prosecution is summoning the former head of the New Urban Communities Authority, officials at the housing ministry, and seven businessmen to hear their testimonies after 47 members of parliament filed a report accusing Mohamed Ibrahim Suleiman, former housing, utilities and urban development minister, of profiteering, wasting public money, and giving away plots of land to his relatives and businessmen. The prosecution heard on Sunday the testimony of People's Assembly member Alaa Abdel Monem who presented new documents indicating that the former housing minister had committed several violations in facilitating the granting of loans to certain companies. The Public Funds Prosecution is expected to prepare a memo on the issue and to submit this to the Attorney General who should, in turn, present the memo to the People's Assembly in order to strip Suleiman, currently the People's Assembly member for Gamaliya and Monshaet Nasser, of parliamentary immunity. An official at the Administrative Control Authority said that investigations supervised by Ali el-Hawari, first attorney of the Public Funds Prosecution, revealed that the minister had allocated eight plots of land in the Fifth Settlement to his wife and two children, and another 20 plots to his brothers-in-law and their children, contrary to law which only permits the allocation of one plot of land to each single family. The minister also allegedly gave his relatives plots of land and villas in Marina, and 1500 feddans in New Cairo, Sheikh Zayed and 6th October to one businessman who had been facing difficulties with payment since 1994. Sources in the judiciary said the former minister faced charges of wasting public money, unlawful acquisition of public money, and bribery, as well as other charges not yet supported by documentary evidence. Translated from the Arabic Edition
