Al-Sayyed Hamed, a lawyer and member of the freedoms committee at the Lawyers Syndicate, has filed a suit with the Attorney General accusing former President Hosni Mubarak and other officials of killing Egyptians through the importation of spoiled wheat.
Hamed told state television’s website that his suit was filed against Mubarak, former Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif, former Minister of Agriculture Youssef Wali, and the heads of companies that import wheat. He said he accuses them of mass murder because of their intent and complicity to spread diseases among the Egyptian people.
According to Hamed’s suit, wheat imported under Mubarak's rule was expired and infected by fungus, leading to serious illness. Companies with connections to the former regime were responsible for importing the wheat.
Hamed added that the tainted wheat caused dozens of Egyptians to suffer diseases including cancer, kidney failure and hepatitis.
Hamed also demanded that all hospitals submit the numbers of Egyptians who had suffered from the aforementioned diseases during the former regime.
The crisis regarding the importation of spoiled wheat first surfaced in 2008 and 2009. According to the state-run Middle East News Agency, the Egyptian judiciary is currently considering a case against businessman Hesham al-Atal, who was accused by a former MP of importing spoiled wheat from Russia through the port of Alexandria.
