By Cam McGrath
"CAIRO, Jul 8, 2010 (IPS) - Anti-corruption watchdogs have shown their teeth, but Egypt's fat cats appear safe from prosecution as long as they stay in favour with the regime.
"The state investigates corruption but usually only after officials are out of office, and only with the green light from above," says anti-corruption expert Ahmed Sakr Ashour. "We need (to prosecute) these officials while they are in office and abusing power."....
"We're fighting ghosts," says Hafez Abu Seada, chairman of the Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights (EOHR). "It's clear there's corruption. You can smell it, touch it and feel it -- everything indicates that there are big fat cats, but (citizens) have no power to catch them or bring them to court."
It is estimated that some 40,000 cases of graft and corruption are filed each year. Yet the vast majority of the cases that make it to court -- and nearly all the ones in which sentences are handed down -- are initiated by the government.
"From time to time the government hands a corruption case to the courts to make it appear that it is cleaning house," says Abu Seada. "It seems only the government can decide who is corrupt and which cases will go to the courts."....."
"CAIRO, Jul 8, 2010 (IPS) - Anti-corruption watchdogs have shown their teeth, but Egypt's fat cats appear safe from prosecution as long as they stay in favour with the regime.
"The state investigates corruption but usually only after officials are out of office, and only with the green light from above," says anti-corruption expert Ahmed Sakr Ashour. "We need (to prosecute) these officials while they are in office and abusing power."....
"We're fighting ghosts," says Hafez Abu Seada, chairman of the Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights (EOHR). "It's clear there's corruption. You can smell it, touch it and feel it -- everything indicates that there are big fat cats, but (citizens) have no power to catch them or bring them to court."
It is estimated that some 40,000 cases of graft and corruption are filed each year. Yet the vast majority of the cases that make it to court -- and nearly all the ones in which sentences are handed down -- are initiated by the government.
"From time to time the government hands a corruption case to the courts to make it appear that it is cleaning house," says Abu Seada. "It seems only the government can decide who is corrupt and which cases will go to the courts."....."
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