The Arabist

The Arabist

By Issandr El Amrani and friends.

Controversial General Prosecutor awarded the Supreme Constitutional Court

Maher 3abdel Wahed has been awarded a promotion.
Here is a dpa report by journalist and friend Jano Charbel...
President Mubarak appoints current general prosecutor to post of chief justice of Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court
Cairo, July 2, 2006 (dpa) - Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak appointed the country's general prosecutor to the post of chief justice of the Supreme Constitutional Court on Sunday.
Mubarak granted four other judges promotional appointments – all five judges swore their oaths at the presidential palace on Sunday.
Mubarak chose to promote the country's controversial General Prosecutor, Judge Maher Abdel Wahed, to the post of Chief Justice of the SCC.
The Deputy General Prosecutor, Judge Abdel Mageed Mahmoud, is to replace Abdel Wahed as the country's general prosecutor.
While Judge Muqbel Shaker was appointed Chief Justice of the Court of Cassation, Judge Sayyed Mohammad Nofal was appointed to the post of Chief Justice of the State Council Court, and Judge Mohammad Abdel Halim Badawi is to head the Administrative Prosecution Office.
Mubarak honored the outgoing justices and decorated them with medals.
Mubarak had issued a presidential decree on Saturday for the appointment of the former General Prosecutor, Judge Maher Abdel Wahed, to the post of chief justice of the country's Supreme Constitutional Court.
Numerous Egyptian human rights organizations, lawyers, and even judges have argued that Abdel Wahed has successfully served the role of the puppet prosecutor in the hands of the country's state security services - which they claim is the reason behind his promotional appointment to the post of head of the SCC.

For more background information on Egypt's judicial crisis, check Baheyya.