Egyptian judge arrested on charges of corruption commits suicide in jail
Wael Shalaby, secretary general of the State Council, hanged himself with a scarf. He had recently been arrested in connection with a major financial scandal involving Jamal al-Din al-Laban. The judge’s lawyer slams prison guards for poor supervision. An autopsy has been ordered.
Cairo (AsiaNews) – Wael Shalaby, an Egyptian judge and former secretary general of the State Council, Egypt’s administrative court system that monitors the exercise of government power, hanged himself in prison with a scarf yesterday morning. He had been detained on charges of corruption.
Mr Shalaby's lawyer, Sayed Beheiry said that "He was going through a terrible psychological state during his questioning".
"It is very hard to be a big important judge and suddenly you lose everything and sit in front of an investigator being accused of taking a bribe," Beheiry explained.
Slamming the negligence shown by the guards in the prison where the judge was held, the lawyer added that Shalaby “went to the bathroom, attached his scarf to the water-heater and hanged himself”.
A few hours after the suicide, the public prosecutor imposed a gag order on information or documents pertaining to the ongoing investigation.
Judge Wael Shalaby’s arrest followed a huge scandal involving Jamal al-Din al-Laban, who was arrested on 26 December. Police seized millions in Egyptian pounds and foreign currencies at the latter’s home. The scandal is unprecedented in the country’s political and institutional life.
Laban’s arrest led to Shalaby’s resignation from the State Council, which outranks the Justice Ministry, and eventually to his arrest. Observers and experts were expecting dozens of arrests, but the suicide brought everything to a halt.
For his part, the public prosecutor has ordered an autopsy to determine the cause of Shalaby’s death. Results are expected in the coming days.
Egyptian authorities have recently launched a campaign against corruption, stressing that "no one can be above the law."
According to Transparency International’s 2016 report, Egypt ranks 88th out of 168 among the most corrupt nations in the world.
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