Egyptians have taken to social media to criticize an administrative official accused of bribery after huge amounts of money in various currencies were found at his home.
The Administrative Control Authority said in a statement that: “[Ahmed] Jamal al-Din Ibrahim al-Laban’s home was searched, and 24 million Egyptian pounds (1.2 million dollars) were seized, along with four million US dollars, two million Euros and a million Saudi riyals”, according to Huffpost Arabi.
The case, along with the piles of cash, has been handed to the state prosecutor. They have not yet provided further details about the origins of the money, or any charges against al-Laban.
Al-Laban was quickly nicknamed “Ali Baba” on social media in reference to the much-loved “a Thousand and One Nights” character who happens upon a cave full of gold and jewels belonging to thieves.
@Shokeir هم فتحوا شقة مدير مشتريات ولا مغارة علي بابا ؟؟
— Hala Elgohary (@Helaelgohary) December 28, 2016
Did they open up the flat of the Director of Purchases or Ali Baba’s cave?
كنت محبطه جدا و لازلت ، وقلت اكيد بحلم، قفلت الفيسبوك وتويتر
— hanan alaa eddin (@hananalaaoden) December 28, 2016
افتح النهارده الاقي قاضي من نفس الهيئه بيته مغارة علي بابا
ايه تفسير الحلم ده؟!
I was very frustrated and still am, and I said of course I am dreaming, so I shut down Facebook and Twitter. I opened them back up today, only to see that a judge from the very committee, his house is an Ali Baba cave. What is the possible explanation for this dream?
#ائتلاف_نساء_مصر
متدين اوى الحاج احمد جمال الدين اللبان الحرامى الى الرقابة الإدارية مسكتة برشوة وفلوس فى بيتة زى مغارة على بابا pic.twitter.com/gzS1qHeUF2— Seham Algebaly (@Snowwhite1900) December 27, 2016
He’s really religious, the Hajj (someone who performed the Islamic pilgrimage) Ahmed Jamal al-Din Al-Laban who the Administrative Control Authorities arrested for bribery. The money in his house is like Ali Baba’s Cave.
Ali Baba: Ahmed Jamal al-Din, Director of Purchases for the Cabinet of Ministers, who was found to have treasures. Thank God I got to see a true Ali Baba before I die. Oh God, if I saw the forty thieves as well, it would still be OK! I really like this Christian Dior tie that is worth 1500 dollars.
What do you make of this gentleman who has an Ali Baba cave? They should lock him up. If the decision was mine, I swear I would execute him.
The alleged corruption has come to light at a time when Egypt is in the midst of a financial crisis. While Al-Laban was sitting on pots of foreign cash, his country was facing a foreign currency deficient, which pushed its central bank to float the value of the Egyptian pound at the beginning of November. The value of the nation's currency has since tumbled. Meanwhile, ordinary Egyptians are dealing with rising prices and growing unemployment.
RA
