HRW decries Egypt trial of former anti-corruption czar

By Ahmed Khalifa

CAIRO (AA) - Human Rights Watch (HRW) has criticized the trial of Egypt’s former chief corruption auditor, saying the prosecution undermines anti-corruption efforts in the Arab country.

Last month, an Egyptian court slapped Hisham Geneina, the former head of the Central Auditing Organization (CAO), with a suspended one-year sentence for allegedly disseminating false information.

Geneina was sacked from his post as CAO chief by President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi after he said that corruption from 2012 to 2015 had cost Egypt up to 600 billion pounds ($75 billion).

Sisi reacted with forming a fact-finding commission, which accused Geneina of falsifying information and distorting facts. The panel said the former CAO chief’s statements were “misleading” and “lacked credibility”.

“The abuse of free speech in Egypt has heightened to the point of turning a misunderstanding into criminal charges punishable by prison,” Nadim Houry, deputy Middle East and North Africa director, said in a statement Tuesday.

“This escalation can have a dangerous chilling effect, especially on officials responsible for reporting corruption,” he said.

The New York-based group warned that the firing and prosecution of Geneina raise concerns about government attempts to undermine the independence and efficacy of anti-corruption bodies.

“If Sisi is serious about fighting corruption within Egypt, as he has said time and again, he should empower the regulatory agencies charged with investigating graft instead of single-handedly weakening the autonomy they depend on,” Houry said.

“Protecting the independence of anti-corruption organizations and their officials protects the freedoms and rights of Egyptians.”

Egypt ranked 88th out of 168 countries on Transparency International’s corruption perceptions index.

Corruption was one of the main grievances that triggered mass street protests in 2011 that led to the ouster of autocrat Hosni Mubarak.