Al-anwar Newspaper English news in Australia
Agriculture Minister of Egypt, Salah El Din Mahmoud Helal has been arrested as part of a corruption charges on Monday after his resignation.
The prime minister’s office said in the statement released earlier on Monday that Salah El Din Mahmoud Helal’s resignation had been accepted on the instruction of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, but did not mention the reason of his resignation.
It is reported that the arrest is related to allegations that officials took bribes to help businessmen illegally acquire state land.
Former President Hosni Mubarak was sentenced to three years in jail on corruption charges after a retrial in May.
The media have been banned from reporting the investigation since last week.
Egypt is one of the world’s largest importers of wheat.
The agriculture ministry banned cotton imports in order to increase local production. Egypt grows a high-quality and extra long staple cotton, but harvest has been decreasing for years. However, the cabinet reversed the decision without giving reason eight days later.
