Luxor public prosecutors began investigating allegations Friday that Luxor notary office employees had forged signatures on behalf of former prime minister and presidential hopeful Ahmed Shafiq in order to make him eligible for a presidential run.
A judiciary source told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the prosecutor Friday summoned for the employees and seized their record books.
Coordinators of the campaigns of fellow presidential hopefuls Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh, Hazem Abu Ismailand Mohamed Selim al-Awafiled complaints against Notary Office employees Thursday accusing them of forging 600 authorizing signatures for Shafiq.
The Presidential Elections Law states candidates should get either 30,000 signatures from at least 15 governorates, or the signature of 30 Parliament members.
Aboul Fotouh said in a campaign rally in Suez Tuesday “Attempts to manipulate the will of people already started in favor of a particular candidate.”
He also warned of vote bribery, urging people to participate in the election to prevent rigging attempts. Abu Ismail’s Facebook page as well warned of attempts to forge authorizations.
Former president Hosni Mubarak appointed Shafiq as Prime Minister on 29 January as a preliminary concession to protesters who two weeks later pressured the former president to step down.
Shafiq then resigned from his post on 3 March following a mass protest calling for his departure.
Prior to holding the position of prime minister, Shafiq served as the minister of civil aviation, starting in 2002.
In June, the Administrative Surveillance Authority (ASA) accused Shafiq of squandering public funds during his tenure as minister.
Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
