On Wednesday, Egypt’s top prosecutor Hamada al-Sawy referred four defendants to criminal trials on charges of bribery to keep an unlicensed private hospital operating.
The first was accused of requesting LE5.6 million as a bribe from the owners of a private hospital, in return for using his influence to obtain from officials of the Ministry of Health documents that proved the hospital was licensed and operating in accordance with the law, after an official decision ordered its closure for violating the law.
The bribed was going to obtain a forged report that proved the absence of any irregularities in the hospital.
The fourth defendant was charged with forging the official report.
The prosecution report stated that evidence were collected against the defendants based on statements from 13 witnesses, including the hospital owners who informed the Administrative Control Authority of the bribery incident once the defendant requested the bribe from them.
Under the public prosecution report, the owners of the hospital agreed to the bribe until the first defendant was arrested red handed.
The statements of the two other defendants who mediated in the bribery confirmed the incident as well as evidence on their mobile phones.
The public prosecutors inspected both the valid and forged documents, and bank documents proving the fact that the bribery amount was submitted to the defendant.
The prosecutors had recordings as well for
meetings and conversations with the first defendant while agreeing to the bribe.
