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Centamin whilst carrying out its legitimate Eygptian business operations has gained some direct experience of the corruption that exists in some facets of the Eygptian government, so I thought these allegation's of an extortion racket being operated by those with close links to the with Mahmoud Al-Sisi, the General Intelligence officer and son of the Egyptian president may be of interest.
Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, aka Hemedi has a strong friendship with Mahmoud Al-Sisi, the General Intelligence officer and son of the Egyptian president. this has opened doors to business with the army directly, without anyone’s supervision or harassment.
The charity, which does not want to be named to avoid obstruction to its relief efforts in Gaza, spoke to Middle East Eye in outrage at having to pay what it openly describes as a bribe to a state-linked agent.
A spokesman for the charity said: “We have worked around the world in times of war, earthquakes and other disasters, but we have never been treated like this by a state who is profiteering from the dispatch of humanitarian goods. It’s draining a lot of our resources and the bribe being paid is per truck.”
The charity said the money is being paid in the form of a “management fee” to a company affiliated with the Sons of Sinai, a construction and contracting firm owned by the Sinai businessman, Ibrahim al-Organi, and part of his Organi Group.
He heads the Tarabin tribe in the Sinai desert bordering Israel and owns a company that is a joint venture with two companies owned by the GIS.
The Organi Group is alleged in media reports to be the ultimate beneficiary of a lucrative sale of “fast-track” permits for Palestinians wishing to escape from Israel's war on the Gaza Strip.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240206-ibrahim-al-organi-is-the-crossing-broker-and-friend-of-sisis-son/
The charity’s statement to MEE is the first concrete evidence of Egypt or Egyptian government-linked parties demanding a cut from the humanitarian aid going into Gaza, which already is subject to weeklong delays incurred by Israel.
Earlier this month, James Heappey, the British minister of state for the armed forces, said that over 150 tonnes of humanitarian aid delivered to Egypt by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is waiting to be transferred into Gaza.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is bleak. More than 26,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war broke out in October, and on Sunday, a UN expert said famine in the enclave was “inevitable”.
Last week, Middle East Eye spoke to five families from Gaza who all confirmed that they had paid fees in the thousands, mostly in US dollars or euros, to mediators who then facilitated their exit from Gaza.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/war-gaza-egypt-charity-intelligence-linked-firm-aid
An international charity, known for its emergency relief efforts in conflict zones, has exposed a staggering demand of $5,000 per truck
Yes Mr Tibbles ,iti sad.
But as Esta Ranzen used to say "Thats life"There is corruption everywhere,even charities ,who take huge commissions from gifts ,they say are expenses.
Egypt is not much different than the West.
Where it is done by benefits or gifts to politiciians or party funds, maybe travel tickets ,holidays ,or inside information.
The brown envelope maybe ,but by agreement.
And to cap it all, tax deductable with a good accountant. ;-)
Hi Mr T,
Before I reply to your post, and so that I reply appropriately if needed..
Is this your actual post? Or someone passed it on to you to post here on his behalf?
Also, is the aim of the post to show that Egypt is a corrupt country, which is bad for Centamin?
Or to show that Egypt is not helping the Palestinians, which I think this is not the place for it, but if some here think it's relevant, then I could reply in details from the ground, as I'm in Egypt now and involved directly in the relief efforts to Gaza..
One thing for sure, I liked the British minister's comment about the tonnes of aids sent to Gaza, while I saw before Mr Sunak getting off a military plane in Israel delivering huge offensive military supplies to help Israel..
Thanks,
Siko
Hi Siko,
Firstly I am no supporter of PM Rishi Sunak or the majority of his parties foreign policies , or their UK policies come to that!
Just to reassure you I am not trying to discredit Eygpt or anyone else, unless of course it is justfiable to do so, which is why I am trying to ascertain if there is any truth in the allegations made in the media posts which I have provided the links to.
I think what is happening in Gaza and to all the people and other living creatures trapped there is appalling and that the NGO's and aid agencies should have unfettered access and shouldn't be subject to financial exploitation by corrupt border control officials.
People charity contributions should be used to support the cause, not line the pockets of spivs and and gangsters who always seem to profit during times of conflict and suffering the world over!
As a matter of interest if you care to listen to the BBC world service there are a growing number of Israelis who are against the way the Palestinians have been treated by their Israeli government .
Yael Noy and most of the Road to Recovery volunteers have continued to drive Palestinians from the West Bank to hospitals in Israel for cancer treatment,
Yael refuses to dehumanise them, or equate them with Hamas, which is classed as a terrorist organisation in the UK and other countries.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-67592468
https://www.goodpeoplefund.org/program/road-to-recovery/
https://www.euronews.com/2024/01/13/meet-the-israeli-charity-supporting-palestinians-amid-the-gaza-war
I have written to Centamin and to Capital Drilling's representatives as a shareholder to make them aware of these allegations making them aware that I have written to my MP asking that he raise these allegations of corruption with the responsible UK government departments. (see below abridged version of my letter)
Andrew Lewer MP
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
12th Feb 2024
Dear Andrew,
I would be grateful if you could ask the relevant UK government department representative if there is any truth in these allegations of the responsible Eygptian government officials being complicit in such an appalling extortion racket on the Gaza border which if true are not only the exploitation of the already suffering people of the region, but also the charities and their generous and well meaning supporters.
http://tinyurl.com/yyhextmp
http://tinyurl.com/a2euur4b
http://tinyurl.com/yeyre4r4
I look forward to your reply on this at your earliest convenience.
Yours Sincerely
My Name & contact details
Reading these articles tt would seem even convicted murderers in Eygpt are issued with a "Get out of jail free card" if they are rich enough and friends of Sisi, but if that were not enough then they are allowed to acquire formerly state owned assets that will make them even richer whilst the ordinary Eygptian people get even poorer and the Eygptian economy goes down the lavatory!
Kaldas pointed out that selling hotels will ultimately prove counterproductive in the state’s efforts to raise funds, as the desperately needed foreign currency that hotels bring in will now flow elsewhere.
Friend of Sisi Moustafa was convicted in 2009 for paying $2m to a former policeman to kill the Lebanese singer Suzanne Tamim, cutting her throat in her Dubai apartment.
After a retrial where he was sentenced to 15 years in prison, Moustafa served half that time before he was pardoned by Sisi, and his former conviction appeared little impediment to his newfound role as a broker for Emirati cash injections into the Egyptian economy
Egyptian billionaire convicted of killing pop star lover spared death penalty
Hisham Talaat Moustafa, sentenced to hang over death of Lebanese star Suzanne Tamim (( Moustafa was convicted in 2009 for paying $2m to a former policeman to kill the Lebanese singer Suzanne Tamim, cutting her throat in her Dubai apartment.)) ---->> https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/sep/28/egyptian-billionaire-spared-death-penalty
Sat 17 Feb 2024 16.00 GMT
Moustafa is Egypt’s largest real estate developer, whose business empire has witnessed a rebirth since his release from prison in 2017, after President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi pardoned him of a murder conviction. His portfolio includes properties across Egypt’s new capital, the crown jewel of Sisi’s megaprojects, in addition to his hospitality arm, Icon, which owns several luxury hotels in Cairo.
His Talaat Moustafa Group (TMG) has now acquired seven heritage hotels across Egypt, including Mena House. This includes others that serve as monuments to Egypt’s recent past, including the Sofitel Winter Palace in Luxor, the Old Cataract in Aswan and the Steigenberger Cecil on the Alexandria coastline. International hotel chains continue to run the hotels, but Icon bought a majority stake in the Egyptian government company which owned them.
The Egyptian prime minister, Mostafa Madbouly, celebrated the $800m sale to Moustafa, who lauded the acquisition for bringing in foreign currency. He added that the sale was financed by “a well-known international strategic investor”.
Weeks later, the mystery buyers were revealed as the Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company (ADQ), a sovereign wealth fund based in the Emirati capital along with its subsidiary the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (Adnec Group), owners of the ExCel centre in London.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/17/desperate-egypt-sells-off-historic-hotels-as-it-dives-deeper-into-debt